
Proponents claim Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are crucial for modernizing the U.S. military, yet concerns about hampered recruitment and readiness persist.
At a Glance
- A study questions the effectiveness of DEI efforts in the military, suggesting they conflict with traditional military values.
- DEI initiatives reportedly consume resources and divert focus from the military’s core mission.
- Critical Race Theory’s integration into military training is becoming more pervasive, raising concerns.
- Military recruitment faces challenges linked to DEI strategy emphasis over traditional values.
Study Questions DEI Efficacy
The Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University conducted a study raising questions on the efficacy of DEI initiatives within the U.S. military. The report suggests these efforts detracted from the ethos traditionally valued within military culture, such as team orientation and mission focus, instead emphasizing individual demographic differences.
Reports indicate training on topics like “unconscious bias” and “intersectionality” contradict traditional American military ideals. According to the study, such training divides rather than unites, consuming time and resources better spent practicing core military skills.
DEI Is Crushing Military Recruitment by Kevin Wallsten and @OwenWest91 https://t.co/ygEXuGA1tz via @WSJopinion
— Daniel Strand (@DDFStrand) October 25, 2024
DEI Spread Within Military Branches
DEI plans and principles have pervaded military sectors, visible in staffing policies and educational curricula at renowned academies, including West Point. Concerns have surfaced over the prioritization of DEI agendas over core military competencies. Suggestions have been made to refocus energies on America’s commitment to freedom and opportunity rather than funding DEI offices.
“The massive DEI bureaucracy, its training and its pseudo-scientific assessments are at best distractions that absorb valuable time and resources. At worst they communicate the opposite of the military ethos: e.g. that individual demographic differences come before team and mission,” reads the University’s study.
Critics caution against DEI funding, which has increased at the expense of preparedness. As DEI initiatives expand, they risk fostering division and promoting ideology contrary to American military values, potentially disrupting the traditional separation between U.S. military objectives and political influences.
Recruitment and Readiness Challenges
The emphasis on DEI in recruitment processes has coincided with a historic recruiting crisis within the U.S. military. Figures reveal that despite a diverse pool of candidates, the military faces a shrinking size and readiness challenges. Policymakers worry that DEI training could compromise military standards by emphasizing quota fulfillment over aptitude.
“The Founders of our nation understood and feared a politicized military. History had shown them that a politicized army easily became the tool of tyranny. The Armed Forces of the United States has proudly upheld this long tradition of separating mission from politics,” says Donald Critchlow, director of the Center.
Given the ongoing recruitment shortfalls, military leaders are urging reevaluation of DEI strategies to align more closely with core missions. With a change in administration, there may be opportunities to recalibrate these approaches to better serve national security interests and remediate recruitment deficits.