US military academies focus on oaths and loyalty to Constitution as political divisions intensify

By GARY FIELDS
Associated Press

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. military isn’t immune to the country’s deep political polarization and the service academies are trying to update how they teach future officers to navigate that divide. Classroom instruction includes deeper discussions about the oaths they take and a focus on loyalty to the Constitution. The discussions have taken on increased significance since the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and as former President Donald Trump campaigns for the White House. Trump has laid out an aggressive agenda that includes potentially using the military in ways that other presidents haven’t.