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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: Woke Focus Undermines Military Cohesion and Readiness
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Eighty years ago, the Tuskegee Airmen made history as the first
African-American combat pilots to execute overseas missions. They persevered
through racial discrimination at home and in our military, helping to protect
the free world during World War II. The armed forces were segregated then, but
these pilots’ heroism paved the way for a transformation. Today, the U.S.
military is the largest, most diverse engine of social mobility in the country.

Because of this progress, American servicemen of all backgrounds have been
promoted based on their courage, character, and commitment – not their skin
color. But this is being threatened by a left-wing woke agenda. It is
mystifying, even disturbing, to see President Biden’s top political defense
officials promote toxic social policies of equal outcome versus equal
opportunity. Their agenda has harmed military readiness and alienated a large
portion of potential military recruits.


The Biden Administration's Liberal Social Agenda Distracts from Readiness


Even as we return to an age of great power conflict, military recruitment is
suffering. By the end of the year, there will be 30,000 fewer active-duty
soldiers than the day President Biden took the oath of office. Public trust in
the military is also plummeting. The Reagan Institute found that under 50
percent of Americans trust the military, down from 70 percent a few years ago.

As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden’s most important job is leading our
military in defense of the United States. But his Administration is making that
job harder by focusing on liberal social goals.

For example, as part of an “extremism stand down day,” which used nearly 5.9
million man-hours across the service branches, the Navy issued training
materials stating that conservative views of “marriage, abortion, and LGBTQ
rights” are “not considered mainstream.” It sent many soldiers a message of
hostility that they did not belong.

The new “diversity, equity, and inclusion” bureaucracy in the Pentagon has
even made changes to the military promotion system. Now, candidates are
evaluated, in part, on their demographic traits. This focus on “equity” rather
than equal opportunity pits service members against each other based on factors
they cannot control. It saps ambition from our best and brightest, telling them
they may or may not be promoted because of their race or gender.

And in the months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the
Secretary of Defense released a statement – without evidence – indicating the
decision would harm readiness efforts. More troubling are recent indications
that the Department is prepared to force commanders to choose between their
commission and their conviction against facilitating an abortion.



Readiness Means Going Back to Basics


As the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will work to
ensure the Department of Defense gets back to basics and prioritizes the values
that made our military the most successful civil rights program in the world.

The Pentagon should reward hard work by keeping promotions merit-based. Armed
Services Republicans will lead efforts to stop the use of Critical Race Theory,
including at our service academies. And we will combat Pentagon efforts to use
taxpayer funds for abortion.

In our modern fight against threats to our security, we need to keep our
priorities straight. The mission of the U.S. military is to deter – and win –
real wars, not wage culture wars.



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Thank you for your support,



Senator Roger Wicker








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