Message from STARRS Chairman Rod Bishop regarding the news that SECDEF Austin’s senior DEI advisory committee, known as DACODAI, was recently terminated:
By Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop, USAF ret, USAFA ’74
STARRS Chairman
STARRS and our allies can definitely take some credit on this one.
In addition to the work we all did last year (actually beginning in December of 2023 with STARRS’ attendance at DACODAI’s last meeting that year), to our leading a coalition to attend DACODAI in person in April of 2024, to our exchanges with the leader of DACODAI, to the Fox and Friends Weekend Show (with now SECDEF Pete Hegseth) exposing the hypocrisy in making that April meeting “virtual only” after many of us had bought airline tickets and had hotel reservations–to–well, last week we sent the STARRS’, MacArthur Society’s, and Calvert Task Group’s position papers to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense Personnel & Readiness.
One of those papers was the Elimination of DACODAI.
The Secretary responded with:
“The one pager on DACODAI reminded me that we have not publicly advertised that we have rescinded that advisory body. We will fix that! “
He did that below.
Thanks to everyone who played a part in bringing an end to this organization which was injecting a harmful Marxist ideology into our military, causing divisiveness.
Although they were promoting merit in words, in the same breath they were arguing for the same percentage of officers and general officers by service as there were enlisted. Can’t get there from here without sacrificing merit we told them.
Need proof of the divisiveness that kind of discrimination causes? “Listen to your people.”
Document we submitted to the Dec 2023 DACODAI meeting: What Military People Are Saying (.pdf)
The overwhelming majority of military people experiencing DEI had little to nothing good to say about it.
“Identity politics on steroids” as one cadet put it.
At a National Character and Leadership Symposium dinner on Thursday night, I asked the cadet I was sitting next to, “so how is the cadet wing receiving all the changes coming out as a result of all the executive orders coming from the new Administration?”
He answered by saying “there are a lot of changes coming down–all the ropes are gone…DEI is gone…”
I asked him “so how does the cadet wing feel about DEI being gone?”
“Relieved” was his answer.
He went on to explain that he had been a “DEI cadet” but added many other cadets in that job went overboard with their position (of operating outside the chain of command)–creating discord instead of “inclusion.”
“As intended” I explained. Wise cadet.
VR, Rod
PS. Although the message of the negative effects of DEI have been heard loud and clear, DACODAI and its predecessor had been at work for the last 15 years. The eradication of the ideology will take some time.
ROD BISHOP
Lt Gen USAF (Ret)
Chairman of the Board
Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Inc
STARRS.US
See all articles on STARRS about DACODAI
“Purple Ropes” at the Air Force Academy:
Fox Host: “Why are we even having a discussion about allowing Marxism in the Military?”
Leave a Comment