For over a decade, military veterans employed by the State Department have found kinship in a volunteer resource group where they can connect with mentors, discuss their mental health and other issues, and perform community service activities unique to their experiences.
But President Donald Trump's executive order to end what he says are "discriminatory and illegal" government diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies has put Veterans@State and dozens of other so-called affinity groups on an indefinite pause across federal departments.
"We are required to cancel any planned events, meetings, announcements, or other activities," the Veterans@State board said in an email last week obtained by NBC News.
A State Department spokesperson said Monday that all employee organizations have been notified that there is a temporary pause on activities until further notice to ensure compliance with executive orders. The dozens of groups include ones focused on women, LGBTQ employees, people with disabilities and a Christian group called GRACE, which was formed during Trump's first term.
Across the federal government, employees who have worked on DEI initiatives within their respective departments have expressed fear and alarm at Trump's mandate. The Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the largest employers of military veterans within the federal government, announced last month it was placing 60 employees who worked solely on DEI activities on paid administrative leave, and was canceling related contracts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said that the decision to eliminate DEI practices was an example of "promises made, promises kept."
DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion and focuses on fostering equitable environments in businesses and schools, particularly for historically marginalized communities.
"President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin," she said in a statement. "This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds."
But for employed veterans, such as those at the State Department, the crackdown on their employee group has caused confusion and frustration, particularly since Trump's White House has touted its support and protection of veterans, current and former members of Veterans@State say.
"I'm disappointed in a lot of ways," said Devin Banks, a former State Department employee and Veterans@State board member who currently works elsewhere for the federal government.
He said the group's activities took place during lunch hours and didn't expend taxpayer dollars.
"It has nothing to do with gender, race, sexual orientation — it includes everybody," Banks, a retired Air Force officer who served in Afghanistan and also worked in Somalia, said of veterans' affinity groups. "For what we sacrifice for the country, I think we deserve what we have and then some."
Banks added that military veterans should not be thought of as being DEI hires, but exemplify meritocracy because many are proven leaders who've worked up the ranks and have served their country with loyalty. Since the 1940s, certain veterans by law may get preference over other candidates when applying for federal jobs, although they are not guaranteed to get hired.
"We put our necks out there and face the ultimate sacrifice," Banks said. "Who are we harming by having a group?"
Another State Department worker who is a disabled veteran said she came to count on the help of veterans support groups within the agency and throughout the federal government as she navigated her career.
The worker, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said she believes all employee groups, not only the ones geared toward military veterans, deserve to remain because they improve morale and build camaraderie.
"To have someone to relate to about what we've been through, our injuries, our mental health, after having served was instrumental in knowing I wasn't alone," she said.
Veteran employee groups have also existed at the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce and others.
Formed in 2014, the State Department's group has been among the most active, giving the agency's estimated 7,100 employee veterans working in civil service, foreign service and as contractors a place to come together.
Troy Taylor, a veteran and former office director at the State Department from 2012 to 2024, said he founded the group with the mission of it acting as a liaison between veteran employees and the rest of the agency.
He said that "any attempt to dismantle employee affinity groups at the State Department would severely undermine the diplomatic mission and squander the proven benefits these organizations provide to both employees and the department as a whole."
At the State Department, veterans have leveraged their experiences traveling for the military into diplomatic roles, Taylor said, and have "proven skills in cross-cultural communication, strategic planning and crisis management honed in the most challenging environments."
The Veterans@State group had many successes over the years, including improving recruitment outcomes and enhancing professional development, he added.
"Veterans have seen the consequences when diplomacy fails; their presence in the State Department helps ensure we exhaust every diplomatic option before considering military ones," Taylor said. "Dismantling this crucial infrastructure would deprive American diplomacy of these essential perspectives at precisely the time we need them most."
This story first appeared on chof360.com. More from NBC News:
