Military Families Unite to Oppose Censorship
Committee Formed to Stand Up for Intellectual Freedom across Military Bases and Communities
A coalition of military-connected families has announced the formation of the Committee of Military Families for Free Expression (MFFE), a nonpartisan effort to stand up against censorship and book bans, grounded in the freedoms protected by those in uniform.
The MFFE committee’s formation comes in response to increasing efforts by the Department of Defense (DoD) to remove a wide range of books from library shelves across the services, many of which feature themes related to race, gender, and history. In response to executive orders eliminating DEI efforts across the federal agencies, the Department of Defense has already removed books from DoD Education Activity (DODEA) libraries. Now, with the May 9th directive establishing the “Committee for Reviewing the Department's Military Educational Institution Library Collections,” this effort is expanding across DoD. Under this latest directive, service Secretaries have until tomorrow - May 21, 2025 - to identify library materials arbitrarily deemed “divisive” and incompatible with the DoD’s mission and to sequester those materials without any further review or appeal process.
Military-connected families supporting MFFE argue that such efforts undermine the core values of military service, including integrity, diversity, and the defense of American constitutional rights.
"Military families send our spouses, parents, and children to defend freedom, yet that same freedom is under threat right here in our military libraries," said Kellie A., founding member of MFFE and spouse of an active duty servicemember. "This is not about politics. It’s about preserving access to knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and ensuring that our children—who already face unique challenges as military dependents—are not further marginalized by censorship."
MFFE is calling for the DoD to halt censorship initiatives, commit to transparency in library policy decisions, and provide a platform for the voices of military families and educators in any decisions that affect access to literature for service members and their families.
“We know firsthand the importance of protecting the freedoms our service members swear to defend, including the freedom to read and access information without censorship,” said Kelly W., founding member of MFFE and spouse of a veteran. “Our children have a right, protected by their parents in uniform, to explore a wide range of resources as they grow into informed citizens. Service members are also entitled to a well-rounded education through military institutions. Limiting access to a full spectrum of ideas undermines their intellectual readiness and strategic thinking, which are essential to our national security.”
MFFE will host a virtual convening of military families as well as hold in-person events in military communities to inform and educate fellow military-connected families on the history and dangers of book bans and empower them to take action against censorship on and off base.
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