Military service members have been increasingly exposed to a “hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment,” according to a former lieutenant colonel, who said the resulting divisiveness is weakening the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have drawn increased and intense scrutiny in recent years, especially from conservatives, who dub these moves part of the “woke” agenda.
Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations, said that “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” introduced by state legislatures are affecting hiring decisions. At a recent Pentagon Pride event, she said: “Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait. Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level.
“That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.”
The Epoch Times spoke to former Space Force officer Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who in 2021 was removed from his command for expressing opposition to Marxist-rooted critical race theory (CRT). According to him, there is no place in the U.S. military for the kind of advocacy Burt participates in.
“Americans should know that when someone signs up to wear the uniform of their country, they’re trained early on to leave political baggage at the door and to be rather apolitical while acting in an official capacity.”
Service members often avoid discussing political topics, because as Lohmeier pointed out, “there is something that supersedes those topics for men and women in uniform—and that’s a particular mission in support of national security.”
“One can make arguments that the military became more political during the Clinton, or during the Obama administration,” he said. “But something radically, fundamentally shifted under the current administration with Lloyd Austin in the seat as secretary of defense.”
By J.M. Phelps
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