Pete Hegseth declares war on DEI madness in the Pentagon



The U.S. military has faced declining standards and an overemphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion under the Biden-Harris administration. A 2022 “Woke Warfighters” report, compiled by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), highlighted some of the most egregious examples of how woke ideology has infiltrated and co-opted the military.

The Biden administration’s 2022 National Security Strategy listed “promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion” as a top priority for the U.S. military, placing it above other traditional objectives. Recruitment videos now focus on diversity over service. One particularly controversial animated ad featured a young woman raised by lesbian parents who joins the Army — a sharp departure from the “Be All You Can Be” messaging of the past.

While partisans focus on discrediting a decorated war veteran and strong advocate for service members, the military faces recruitment, retention, and morale crises.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley testified before Congress that he wanted to understand “white rage.” A 2021 diversity and inclusion strategic plan for the Special Forces stated that “SOCOM will implement a ‘Joint Special Operations University Diversity and Inclusion Curriculum’ to emphasize what makes ‘diversity in [Special Operations Forces] an operational imperative.’”

The 18-page report, which received surprisingly little media coverage upon its release, details numerous examples of how such ideology has permeated the military. Pete Hegseth has emerged as a vocal opponent of this approach, vowing to end the Pentagon’s DEI insanity. Naturally, he has become a target of mainstream media outlets and influential Democrats.

Hegseth, a decorated war veteran with years of military service and advocacy for service members, transitioned to media as a popular Fox News host. Despite his credentials, critics dismiss him as merely a “TV host,” relying on audiences not to investigate his distinguished background. Agenda-driven partisans have resurrected unfounded and discredited sexual assault accusations that were resolved years ago. His enemies mischaracterize his tattoos, which reflect his deep Christian faith, as white nationalist symbols.

Hegseth has been vocal for years in opposing the DEI push in the military, arguing that it undermines military effectiveness, weakens the armed forces, and jeopardizes American safety. His stance, along with his comments about combat roles being unsuitable for women, has made him a prime target of the identitarian feminist left. As we approach the post-inauguration confirmation hearings, the smear campaign against Hegseth will undoubtedly escalate.

While partisans focus on discrediting a decorated war veteran and strong advocate for service members, the military faces recruitment, retention, and morale crises. As a decorated Iraq War veteran with a significant social media following, I receive frequent messages from active-duty soldiers. They express frustration with the Biden-Harris administration’s military policies, citing lowered standards that produce weaker troops, DEI initiatives that harm unit cohesion, and a hesitancy among pro-America young men — traditionally the military’s strongest recruits — to enlist.

Hegseth plans to reverse these trends. Partisan Democrat smear campaigns must step aside to allow him to restore the strength and greatness of America’s military.

Army officials puzzle over significant drop in white recruits



Military officials and leftists in Washington have long bemoaned the overwhelming presence of white people in the U.S. military. Now that race obsessives have gotten their way and far fewer recruits from the disfavored group are enlisting, officials are beginning to fret.

According to Military.com, the U.S. Army fell 10,000 short of its 65,000 enlistment target in 2023. This drop was largely driven by a significant drop in the number of white recruits.

In 2018, 44,042 new Army recruits — 56.4% of the total — were white. Over the years, that number has plummeted, hitting 25,070 or 44% of the overall recruits in 2023, down 6% from the previous year. This demographic group has seen a uniquely dramatic decline when compared to other racial groups.

Overall recruiting totals have remained relatively flat for black and Hispanic recruits, but as white recruits have turned out in smaller numbers, the proportions of black and Hispanic recruits in the pool have increased from 20% to 24% and from 17% to 24%, respectively.

Military.com indicated it encountered even more damning data speaking to a dramatic "shift in demographics" but that Army officials wrote it off as a "system coding error."

Army officials told Military.com that there is not one single cause for this decline but indicated obesity and the poor quality of the public education system might have been factors. While these factors might explain a drop in recruitment across the board, they wouldn't explain a racially specific drop in proportion of 12.4 points over a five-year period.

An Army official suggested the decline may have also been political, driven by conservatives' critiques of the Biden administration and its politicization of the military. The official, paraphrased by Military.com, credited conservative lawmakers and right-wing media in particular with souring their "overwhelmingly white audience" against the military over its identity politics and with prompting would-be recruits in the mix to "abando[n] their warfighting priorities."

"There's a level of prestige in parts of conservative America with service that has degraded. Now, you can say you don't want to join, for whatever reason, or bad-mouth the service without any cultural guilt associated for the first time in those areas," said the official.

Besides taking issue with the Pentagon's radical LGBT activism, abortion promotion, and its sweeping accusations of extremism, the erosion of such guilt among white people and conservatives might also have something to do with the military's apparent animus toward them.

A 2011 report ordered by Congress claimed the military was too white and too male.

The Pentagon released a manual blasting "healthy, white, heterosexual, Christian" men for having "unearned advantages of social privilege."

The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, complained in 2021 that the military was not diverse enough, stressing, "We must get better." He also defended the Pentagon's embrace of critical race theory, stating, "I want to understand white rage."

A battalion commander reportedly stressed in 2021, "If you're a white male, you are part of the problem."

It appears that in remedying a perceived problem, the Army created a real problem at a time of great international instability.

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Army's new recruitment video raises eyebrows with its lack of diversity: 'We are definitely going to war'



The U.S. Army's latest recruitment advertisement has raised eyebrows over its uncharacteristic lack of diversity. Some critics have suggested that the prominence of white male service members in the ad might indicate extreme desperation on the part of the Army to hit recruitment targets and/or war on the horizon.

What's the background?

In recent years, the Army has been blasted for pushing ad campaigns that appeared more concerned with identity politics than with attracting a new generation of patriotic warriors.

For instance, it released an ad released on May 4, 2021, featured a lesbian couple, an LGBT activist parade, and the suggestion that supporting non-straight unions was comparable to defending the nation. Critics suggested that beyond its apparent ideological bent, the ad was off-brand for the Army.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) ruffled feathers with his subsequent suggestion that "perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea."

When challenged over the tweet, Cruz said, "We have the greatest military on earth, but Dem politicians & woke media are trying to turn them into pansies."

For all the attention this ad and others got for downplaying combat, highlighting personal development, and harping on themes of identity, they did not appear to move the needle on recruitment.

In 2022, the Army fell 15,000 soldiers (25%) short of its target, reported the Army Times.

"In the Army's most challenging recruiting year since the start of the all-volunteer force, we will only achieve 75% of our fiscal year 22 recruiting goal," said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.

Things have not improved a great deal since. Task & Purpose reported that the Army expects to end fiscal year 2024 with 55,000 new recruits, 10,000 short of its original goal.

Getting serious

In March, the U.S. Army launched a rebrand in hopes of increasing enlistment numbers. While still willing to publish makeup tutorials on its YouTube page, the Army ran two ads both featuring recreations of historic battles and celebrating the virtue of yesteryear's fighters with no explicit emphasis on their immutable characteristics. Marvel actor Jonathan Majors, now awaiting trial on assault and harassment charges, served as on-screen narrator.

Wormuth told CNN, "The Army at the end of the day is here to fight and win the nation's wars, and we wanted to reflect the Army that does that. And that's the Army that I see when I go out and visit installations, whether it's here or whether it's overseas."

"These commercials were really based on the market research we’ve been doing about, what do people think about the Army, what do they think they know, what don’t they know, and how do we start telling that story through these ads?" continued Wormuth.

While this campaign ditched the softness of previous efforts, diversity apparently remained a pre-eminent concern.

"You're going to see lots of different people doing lots of different roles," said Wormuth. "You're going to see men and women, you're going to see people of color, and part of that is important because one of the things we found in our market research is that a lot of young people admire the Army, but they don't think there are people like them in the Army."

Numbers over diversity

Now, months later with the Israel-Hamas war in full swing, the Army has released an ad entitled "Jump" in which women and minorities are noticeably absent.

"Jump," released on Nov. 4, is the fourth commercial in the Army's "First Steps" campaign, which was launched in August, and part of its 2023 "Be All You Can Be" rebrand. It features a largely white cast of male soldiers packed into a CH-47 Chinook helicopter preparing for a parachute jump. The camera alternates between the soldiers' point of view and cinematic shots.

As a soldier's parachute opens, text appears saying, "Your greatest victories are never achieved alone."

Critics immediately seized upon the ad's apparent lack of diversity.

BlazeTV host Lauren Chen responded on X, "The Army has abandoned woke advertising. Looks like they're going to war and looking for white boy canon [sic] fodder."

The popular X account Wall Street Silver wrote, "All white guys in the US Army ads again ... we are definitely going to war."

Darren Beattie, the editor of Revolver News, wrote, "Attention white men. Time to fight and die for a regime that hates you. ... The semiconductors of Taiwan must be liberated."

Peachy Keenan, the pseudonymous contributing editor of the American Mind, tweeted, "The US Army's new recruitment ad is so cynical. After 15 years of relentless progessive [sic] brainwashing and doing a literal 'stand down' to root out 'extremists' ( ie white conservatives), they are now facing an existential recruiting crisis and must return again to seducing the children of said 'extremists' into fighting for their country."

TPUSA CEO Charlie Kirk asked, "Are we going to war?"

An unwoke appeal to potential white male recruits might be a sound move for the Army, given its present and historic demographics.

The number of white soldiers in the Army has dropped off precipitously since 2010, when they accounted for 62.2% of the fighting force.

According to the Army, as of June 2022, white soldiers made up 53.9% of the Army's active component, accounting for 69% of all officers, 62% of warrant officers, and 63% of USMA cadets. Males accounted for 84.4% of the total.

— (@)

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The US military discharged over 8,000 service members who rejected the COVID-19 shot. Only 43 have rejoined.



The Pentagon's vaccine mandate is no longer in effect, but its repercussions continue to be felt. Of the over 8,000 service members discharged for refusing the shot, only 43 have rejoined over the past eight months.

What's the background?

After first rolling out a vaccination program on a voluntary basis, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the mandate in 2021, penalizing all service members who resisted.

The Military Times indicated that roughly 17,000 service members ultimately refused to take the vaccine.

While around 1,200 secured exemptions, Defense Department records indicate that 3,717 Marines, 1,816 soldiers, and 2,064 sailors were discharged for refusing the vaccine, reported Reuters. Further, 834 Air Force/Space Force service members were apparently also discharged.

Approximately 70% of those ousted for their refusal to take the novel mRNA vaccine reportedly received general discharges.

The mandate and the ousters were roundly criticized.

Twenty governors, in a Nov. 30, 2022, letter demanding the mandate's repeal, stated, "The Biden vaccine mandate on our military creates a national security risk that severely impacts our defense capabilities abroad and our state readiness here at home."

About-face

The mandate remained in effect from August 2021 until January 2023, when Republicans ensured its nullification as part of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.), Ted Cruz (Texas), and others also proposed that military members who had been discharged for refusing the vaccine be reinstated, reported CNN. However, this amendment to the defense bill in the Senate did not pass.

Following the passage of the NDAA, Austin wrote in an unapologetic memo, "Section 525 of the NDAA for FY 2023 requires me to rescind the mandate that members of the Armed Forces be vaccinated against COVID-19, issued in my August 24, 2021 memorandum, 'Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination of Department of Defense Service Members.' I hereby rescind that memorandum."

Accordingly, troops would no longer have to take the vaccine against their will or undergo segregation "on the basis of their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they sought an accommodation on religious, administrative, or medical grounds."

Despite this reversal and the provision of general discharges, thousands of ousted troops have not returned.

Gone for good

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) wrote to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth last month demanding answers about how many service members have rejoined as well as about the services' plan "to ensure continued readiness after the mandate went into effect, knowing that thousands of service members would be discharged."

Tuberville said in a corresponding statement, "Joe Biden firing thousands of healthy and dedicated service members made us weaker and never had any basis in science."

"The Senate — and, more importantly, military families — deserve a full accounting of the effects of this policy up and down the chain of command. The Pentagon needs to stop stonewalling and give us the answers we deserve."

CNN reported that, according to data provided by the military branches, since January, only 19 soldiers have rejoined the Army and 12 have rejoined the Marines. As for the Air Force and Navy, only one and two have returned, respectively.

Some analysts have suggested that the lost manpower is a drop in the bucket.

J. Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CNN the numbers are "minuscule."

"I don't think there was ever any real evidence that it was getting in the way of recruitment or retention," said Morrison. "There was some grumbling, but you know the reality if you enter the military and you submit to a whole battery of different medical measures."

Last year, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger suggested the mandate had in fact impacted recruitment, particularly "in parts of the country [where] there's still myths and misbeliefs about the back story behind it," reported Military.com.

Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said in a House Armed Services Committee hearing in early 2022, "I think if 2,000 are kicked out [of the Army], I think that would hurt."

In addition to having trouble luring back those able-bodied patriots it discharged during the pandemic, the military appears to be struggling with recruitment and retention.

For instance, TheBlaze reported Tuesday that the Army has found itself having to make "sweeping changes" to its recruiting enterprise after struggling to meet its end-strength goal.

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White House claims that laws protecting the unborn hurt military morale and retention



National Security Council spokesman John Kirby suggested during a White House press briefing Monday that new laws protecting the unborn around the nation along with possible changes to the Department of Defense's abortion policy, such as those sought by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), might hurt recruitment and morale for the U.S. military.

Kirby also insinuated that the Pentagon's facilitation of abortion procurement amounts to a "sacred obligation."

What's the background?

While Republicans in Congress seek to disentangle the U.S. military from pro-abortion initiatives by way of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, such as Rep. Ronny Jackson's (R-Texas) NDAA amendment passed last Thursday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has endeavored to do so by way of senatorial privileges.

NPR reported that since February, Tuberville has blocked every personnel move in the U.S. military requiring a confirmation, which amounts to at least 270.

Tuberville noted in a July 14 op-ed that "over the last two years the Left has been relentless in turning the military from the world’s greatest killing machine to just another outfit for liberal social engineering."

"Since March the Pentagon has been spending our tax dollars for travel and extra paid time off for service members and their kids to get abortions – something Congress neither authorized nor appropriated," continued Tuberville. "With so much at stake, and with so much ground already lost, conservatives in Congress have no choice but to stand and fight against a politicized Pentagon before we look back with nostalgia on the days when the American people trusted its military."

The senator from Alabama told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin earlier this year that the taxpayer should not be "on the hook" for abortion-related expenses, emphasizing that it violates the Hyde Amendment.

For his principled stance, Tuberville has drawn the ire, not just of Democrats, but also of seven former U.S. secretaries of Defense, who sent a letter on May 4 urging the "Senate to act expeditiously on the nearly 200 nominees for general and flag officer who are being blocked from Senate confirmation."

The former defense secretaries wrote, "We appreciate that Senators can have sincere and legitimate concerns about a Pentagon policy, including as it may relate to broader domestic or social issues. These lawmakers also deserve timely and thorough responses to their questions. However, we believe placing a hold on all uniformed nominees risks turning military officers into political pawns, holding them responsible for a policy decision made by their civilian leaders."

The White House responds

During a press briefing Monday, a reporter raised the matter of Tuberville's holds on military promotions, saying, "The administration has been critical of Senator Tuberville with his holds on military promotions because of social policy and saying that he is harming military readiness. On the flip-side of that impasse — and this is something that Republican lawmakers have raised — why is the new DOD policy on abortion critical to military readiness?"

Kirby responded by highlighting that "one in five members of the U.S. military are women. Twenty percent. ... When you sign up and you make that contract, you have every right to expect that the organization — in this case, the military — is going to take care of you and they’re going to take care of your families."

Kirby then suggested that the facilitation of abortion procurement, which he euphemistically referred to as "reproductive care," is a "foundational, sacred obligation of military leaders."

Beyond suggesting that the Pentagon's abortion policy is somehow holy, Kirby claimed that pro-life laws "in this country that are now being passed are absolutely having an effect on [service members' and their spouses'] willingness to continue serving in uniform or to encourage — or discourage, in this case — their spouses from continuing service."

As a consequence of pro-life laws, Kirby further suggested there will be retention and morale issues.

"Recruiting is tough enough as it is with a very strong economy out there. We want to keep the people that we get," said Kirby. "Not to mention, it's just the right darn thing to do."

Kirby's suggestion Monday that abortion might have an impact on the Pentagon's recruitment crisis echoes remarks made last summer by Gil Cisneros, the Pentagon’s chief of personnel and readiness.

Cisneros said, "We have concerns that some service members may choose to leave the military altogether because they may be stationed in states with restrictive reproductive health laws."

— (@)

Although Kirby indicated that prospective U.S. military members' difficulties offing their unborn children might adversely affect recruitment and retention, there appear to be various far more consequential factors precluding Americans from joining the military that preceded the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling and Republicans' recent pro-life laws.

Recruitment woes

The Army missed its recruitment goal by 25% last year, its worst recruiting year since the end of the draft in 1973.

U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told CNBC, "Only about 23% of kids between 16 and 21 are able to meet our standards, and some of that, frankly, is reflective of the problem that we have in our country with obesity."

TheBlaze previously reported that the Air Force recently eased its body fat requirements in hopes of meeting its yearly active-duty recruiting goal. It's presently unclear what weight this change might have on intake.

Beside problems of fitness, there are also problems of desire, suggested Wormuth.

"Right now, only 9% of young Americans say that they’re interested in joining the military."

Even military families, whose children make up the majority of new recruits, "don't see it as a good choice," Adm. Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently told the Wall Street Journal.

The Journal explained how one proud military family had soured on the prospect of encouraging their boys to join up, not because it might be difficult for some mothers to off their young but owing to the Biden administration's botched conclusion to the Afghanistan War in 2021, which had proven too dispiriting.

The military must also contend with the fact that it can no longer lure prospects who are fit, capable, and possibly interested with financial incentives when civilian institutions are offering the same or better.

Sgt. Maj. Marco Irenze, of the Nevada Army National Guard, told the Journal, "To be honest with you it’s Wendy’s, it’s Carl’s Jr., it’s every single job that a young person can go up against because now they are offering the same incentives that we are offering, so that’s our competition right now."

The Military Times reported that extra to "an under-educated public, a roaring civilian jobs market and bad perceptions of service fueled by negative headlines," Genesis, the electronic health record for the Military Health System, may have had a hand in disqualifying prospects who have been on medicines in the past or have met with psychiatrists.

Genesis has also been accused of making medical screenings longer, according to Maj. Gen. Edward Thomas, head of Air Force Recruiting Service.

To make matters worst, those unwilling to get the COVID-19 vaccine have likely shied away from recruitment centers. While the military has claimed there is no "hard data" to show that the vaccine mandate hurt recruiting, it has ousted thousands of service members who refused the vaccine.

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'Woke' broke the US military



When you have high-ranking members of the military posing in "dog play" costumes and expressing more concern about pronouns than equipping America’s military for battle, you know your military has been weakened.

This is a terrible place for the United States military to be in. We’re facing aggression from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China — and meanwhile, recruitment is plummeting.

Why is recruitment plummeting?

Perhaps it’s the difference in military recruitment videos.

While Russia makes a show of its physical strength and unity, America makes a show of its empathy and diversity.

We can thank Biden for that.

Mark Levin believes that America is not putting enough emphasis on the threat that is Russia and has instead placed all its attention on Ukraine.

He asks, “How many Americans have been kidnapped in Russia? Several are still there ... how many threats [have] Putin and his surrogates made about shooting nukes at us or using nukes?”

He continues, “Now they’ve taken out one of our military drones.”

Levin points out that Ukraine has never kidnapped Americans. Not before or during the war. It's never made threats with nuclear arms. And it's never made an effort to sabotage the United States military.

Russia is the real threat, yet there are many on the right who think Putin is the good guy.

He continues, “Bill Clinton, in 1994, working with the Russians and the British, persuaded the Ukrainians to give up all their nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for security.”

That didn’t last long.

Levin says it’s clear that “there’s good and there’s evil. We’re the good guys. Russia is the evil guys.”

He finishes, “So many people today think like Marxists. They say the same thing: ‘Forget about history. We know what’s best today. And it’s isolationism and pacifism.’ So, I guess we have to wait to be directly attacked … oh wait a minute. We were yesterday.”

Russia knocked out one of our military planes. What did we do?

Nothing.

And it’s time for that to change.


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Army directs financially strapped soldiers to welfare, food stamps as recruitment numbers continue to tumble



The Army has directed members who are struggling to make ends meet to supplement their income through government assistance programs.

A financial literacy guide written by Sergeant Major Michael Grinston and posted to the Army website about a month ago reminds soldiers that they may qualify for government-issued assistance such as welfare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — otherwise known as food stamps — just like their struggling civilian counterparts do.

"SNAP is a U.S. government program that provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an electronic benefits transfer card that can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores," Grinston wrote. "Service members and their families may be eligible. To determine qualification, visit the SNAP website or call the SNAP information line at 800-221-5689."

While Grinston's piece includes a variety of suggestions for soldiers and their families in addition to welfare and food stamps, it also admits that rising inflation has affected the "financial health" of many members, and Grinston gives no indication that COLA raises for soldiers are forthcoming.

With low pay and rising prices for food and gas, some soldiers may eventually feel forced to accept food and housing assistance from the same government that determines their monthly income. Mackenzie Eaglen, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, claims that "24% of enlisted personnel are food insecure," per the Pentagon.

"While food stamps are a Band-Aid," she continued, "they’re also an admission that basic pay for enlisted troops and their families is too low — further exacerbated by unyielding inflation, causing paychecks to shrink more."

According to the federal government, a recent Army enlistee with two years of experience or less receives just shy of $22,000 a year in salary. Soldiers do receive pay raises as they are promoted, though as the Daily Wire notes, years of experience alone do not necessarily result in concomitant pay increases.

The dispiriting suggestion that desperate soldiers go on the public dole could not come at a worse time for the Army, which has had tremendous difficulty recruiting new members in recent months. In July, the Army admitted that it had met just 40% of its recruitment goals, despite offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000. Though the Army has lowered its standards for new recruits and attempted to rebrand itself as an institution devoted to diversity and inclusion, these new marketing approaches have still failed to entice new enlistees and officers.

DON'T Let Your Kids Join the Navy | Louder With Crowder

DON'T Let Your Kids Join the Navy | Louder With Crowder

Soldiers In Drag Are Nothing New For The Identity-Obsessed U.S. Military

Folks on the right are just discovering that the Department of Defense has become the Department of Education in camo-clad drag? This started at least 40 years ago.