Lance Davidson, a human resources representative for Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, speaks with a potential candidate at the 2023 BEYA Career Fair in National Harbor, Md. (U.S. Army)

Military organizations have backed out of an engineering, science and technology conference set for this weekend as part of a new Pentagon policy that bans diversity-focused events.

The Becoming Everything You Are Conference — formerly known as the Black Engineer of the Year Award Conference — has a record of supporting and celebrating military employment as a civilian or service member and has consistently helped the Defense Department recruit hundreds of young professionals, said Tyrone Taborn, publisher, chairman and CEO of Career Communications Group, which is behind the nearly 40-year-old event.

The conference — held each February in Baltimore — is focused on careers and mentorship in science, technology, engineering and math. Last year, the Army recruited about 300 people, he said.

But given the push from President Donald Trump’s administration to end all forms of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, the Defense Department has ordered all its organizations cancel official participation in this weekend’s event. The federal government had committed to spend about $1.5 million on the event, Taborn said.

Pentagon officials responded to the cancellations by pointing to a policy released Jan. 31 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called “Identity Months Dead at DoD” that bars use of any official resources for celebrations, events or cultural awareness months. Service members and civilians can attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours, according to the policy.

Taborn said he was shocked by the move. He said the conference has moved beyond affinity group affiliation to be one of the largest conferences in the country with up to 14,000 attendees each year. He said he poured over the conference sessions this year to ensure each was compliant with new Pentagon directives and adjusted or removed any legacy sessions of concern.

It has not helped as cancellations continued Monday, he said.

Military personnel can still attend the three-day event, which begins Thursday, in an unofficial capacity, according to statements from the Air Force, Navy and National Guard Bureau. Army Futures Command, which is listed on the conference website, did not respond to questions Monday.

No military services that planned to participate in the event would provide the amount of money that they’ve lost by cancelling the conference. The BEYA website stated it does not provide refunds less than 30 days before the event.

“I’m just blown away. I don’t understand,” Taborn said.

The U.S. Army civilian career booth at the 2023 BEYA Career Fair in National Harbor, Md. (U.S. Army)

Pentagon pressure on its contractors also led SpaceX, Booz Allen Hamilton and Naval Nuclear Laboratory to cancel, he said. He fears more will follow.

The Defense Department did not respond Monday on whether it has pressured contractors.

“BEYA is the major recruiting activity for everybody, and they put all their money behind this. It’s such an ecosystem,” Taborn said. “We’re not even DEI, unless you want to say there’s too many Black people or too many Hispanic people coming to the event. … We just can’t figure it out.”

The military has struggled in recent years to meet its recruiting goals for troops and keep its civilian employment ranks filled. The Army last year hosted three large hiring fairs in professional sports arenas to attract potential candidates to fill thousands of vacancies.

A federal hiring freeze signed into policy by Trump on Jan. 20 excludes defense personnel.

The Army received 5,500 resumes and conducted more than 540 interviews at BEYA in 2023, according to a news release about its participation that year.

Army National Guard, Missile Defense Agency, the Air Force and Navy are listed as exhibitors in this year’s conference. The Army’s Aviation and Missile Command extended 37 tentative job offers at the 2024 event, according to another release. Of those, 30 people accepted jobs.

Army National Guard, Air Force and Navy are listed as Diamond Partners of this year’s event, which costs about $50,000, according to the BEYA website. Army Futures Command is a Platinum Partner, valued at about $40,000, and Missile Defense Agency is Bronze at about $15,000. Packages include exhibitor space, participant passes, branding and advertisements.

Outside of personnel recruitment, the BEYA Conference hosts a mentorship program that pairs service members with high school students. The Stars and Stripes Dinner held during the conference highlights excellence in military service. The guest list this year has dropped from 1,100 to 600, Taborn said.

Each dinner puts a spotlight on a different military service branch and the Coast Guard was selected this year, according to Taborn and a Coast Guard letter sent to its personnel in November.

Adm. Linda Fagan, the Coast Guard commandant who was fired by Trump the day after he took office, was prominently featured in the conference’s magazine, which is already printed for distribution this weekend, Taborn said. It’s too late to change it now, he said.

Instead, organizers have scrambled to recover what they can, Taborn said. He’s called his network of military retirees to fill the gaps for mentors.

“They’re more than happy [to help],” he said.

The U.S. Naval Academy, which traditionally provides transportation to high school students to attend a mentoring program, cancelled the buses. That means many high school and college students will miss their chance to participate, Taborn said.

He had expected about 8,000 students at this year’s conference.

Russell Frisby, an attorney who has participated and attended the conference in previous years, said the experience left him proud to be among general officers and CEOs speaking to young people “clearly on their way up.”

Seeing service members and military civilians at the conference showcased for their professional excellence allows students to see what is possible for them in a similar path, he said.

“We are competing with China and India, and I think technology-wise … we need to go for all our best people. A lot of our best people are going to be there at BEYA,” Frisby said.