Pom Poms and No-Shows: The Failure of Military Academy Oversight
Some Boards of Visitors are finally doing their jobs. Others are AWOL.
America’s military service academies are overseen by Boards of Visitors (BOV) appointed by Congress and the President. For years, these bodies have performed as cheerleaders and resume enhancers for their members, rather than effective independent watchdogs. Restoration of America Foundation (ROAF) is working to change that by publishing BOV records and meeting information on their website, shining a light on bodies that have long operated in the shadows.
Through public records requests, ROAF has compiled BOV meeting minutes and annual reports for all of the academies. These documents reveal discussions and issues that are addressed in each meeting—or fail to be addressed. As ROAF reveals, some BOVs are taking their oversight responsibilities seriously but others are missing in action.
Under new leadership, the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) and U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) BOVs are finally asserting real authority and delivering meaningful feedback to the President and Armed Services committees. The United States Military Academy (USMA) BOV at West Point, however, continues to wave their pom poms and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy BOV (USMMA) seems to be missing in action.
The USMA BOV website reported only one meeting in 2025—other BOVs held two or three—and no annual report is known to have been filed as required under law. Many appointees just don’t show up to the meetings. For example, Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth (IL) has been listed as an appointee since at least 2022, but minutes reflect Duckworth has only attended one meeting.
While USMA embedded diversity, equity, and inclusion agendas throughout the Academy, the BOV remained silent. DEI and race became a focus not only in the classrooms but also in the admissions process and in the hiring of staff.
The BOV is required under federal code to visit the academy annually and within 60 days submit a written report to the President “of its action, and of its views and recommendations pertaining to the Academy.” Yet there is no evidence that the USMA BOV ever filed the legally required 2025 annual oversight report—if they did it wasn’t made public.
In March 2025, President Trump replaced the USMA BOV presidential appointees. Gen. Michael Flynn was added to the board and has been one of the few voices providing meaningful oversight. He can’t do it alone. The leadership of the BOV must take oversight responsibilities seriously, not act as a rubber stamp for the superintendent.
The USMMA BOV met in 2025 once and elected a new chair—replacing the past ineffective chair Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ). Under Kelly’s BOV leadership, the Academy was marred with controversy and crumbling infrastructure. Despite being an alumnus of the school, he did nothing to correct the problems. Despite the requirement to submit an annual report to the President regarding the status of the institution, only one report, from 2022, can be found. While Sen. Kelly was quick to brag on his website that he was elected chair of the BOV, we couldn’t find any annual oversight reports submitted to the President as required by statute.
The Air Force Academy and Naval Academy BOVs have both overhauled their method of doing business. The USAFA board meetings are transparent, they stream their meetings and even allow public comment. Contrast that with the USMA BOV meetings—the last one was described as a performative “show” lacking substance. The meetings are required to be public yet attendees said the audio was so bad that few could hear. The meeting appeared to be driven by the Superintendent—whose past DEI agenda should have disqualified him years ago—not the oversight body.
America’s military academies develop the next generation of military leaders and Congress and the President must be sure they are held to the highest level of accountability. BOV members who fail to provide their legal oversight responsibilities or fail to even attend the meetings should be removed. Real reform demands BOV members treat their appointments as a solemn duty, not a credential. The USNA and USAFA BOVs have shown it can be done. It’s time for the other boards to follow their lead or be replaced with leaders who will.
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