Overview

• An email from West Point Association of Graduates president Mark Bieger informed faculty that the September 25 ceremony for Tom Hanks was canceled to prioritize preparing cadets to lead, fight and win.
• Neither West Point nor representatives for Hanks have said if the Sylvanus Thayer Award will still be conferred without a ceremony or at a later date.
• President Donald Trump welcomed the cancellation on Truth Social, calling it a “Wichtiger Schritt!” and decrying what he labeled “woke” awardees.
• Reporters note the decision comes as military academies face policy shifts under the current administration, including DEI rollbacks and Pentagon-ordered searches of West Point library materials in May.
• Hanks was announced in June as the 2025 honoree for his portrayals of service members and long-standing support for veterans, with prior recipients including political figures such as Barack Obama.