Dear John,
The United States military is one of the most revered institutions in our nation’s history, forged in blood and honor from the valleys and hills of a young America to the islands of the Pacific and the forests of Europe. Countless American patriots made the ultimate sacrifice for their country on these famous battlefields. This legacy, exemplified by leaders like Washington, Grant, and Patton, has safeguarded the ideals of liberty for generations.
Yet, over the years, the military’s foundation has been undermined by the relentless progressive march through our institutions, transforming the military into a testing ground for crazed social experiments: race quotas, extreme gender ideologies, and political correctness have displaced a focus on operational excellence. This has led to a serious decline in recruitment, retention, and readiness, jeopardizing our ability to meet the demands of future conflicts.
With President Trump’s decisive victory and new leadership at the Pentagon, there is an unprecedented opportunity to reverse this decline. Achieving this requires more than rhetoric—it demands actionable, principled policy.
This is the mission of Claremont’s Center for the American Way of Life. In September, we published Identity in the Trenches, a seminal report that exposes the harm caused by DEI-driven policies within the Armed Forces. Authored by William Thibeau, a combat veteran and former Army Ranger officer, the report not only diagnoses the roots of this decline but also offers a bold, merit-based plan for renewal.
