Aden Gilbert grew up watching war movies, fighting enemy combatants in video games and listening to his dad’s Marine Corps stories.
He considered following in his father’s footsteps but changed his mind as he saw the country and its leadership heading in a direction antithetical to his values.
“If we’re prioritizing being woke, and we can’t actually protect the majority of American people, what’s the point of having a military?” Gilbert asked Fox News.
“Is it really worth joining and putting our life on the line for ideologies that we don’t agree with and that we don’t want to necessarily protect?”
Military children have historically been more likely to serve their country than their peers. Ten years ago, more than a quarter of new recruits had a parent who had served, and around 80% reported having at least one family member who had done so, according to a Pentagon survey.
“It was something that a man of honor would do, to serve and protect his country and serve and protect those values that existed back then,” Gilbert, 18, said. “But I think things are a little bit different now.” . . . .
. . . . Gilbert said the military is alienating the very men and women who are most likely to serve by emphasizing progressive ideologies over readiness.
A recent Navy recruiting pitch featured a drag queen, and last year the branch released a video stressing the importance of pronouns.
“I would rather tiptoe around literal landmines than have to tiptoe around people’s pronouns,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert has always considered himself a patriot, but said the left has “successfully eroded patriotism” by pushing restrictive laws, “woke” ideology and “celebrating satanic themes in music and Hollywood.”
“When we hear the word ‘pride,’ we’re now programed to instinctively think of the rainbow flag, whereas the generations before me, when they heard the word ‘pride,’ they thought of the American flag,” the younger Gilbert said. “And now to the left, that’s considered offensive.”
He said he’s “not moved to serve a commander in chief who seems to value the rainbow flag over the American flag” and “labels white supremacy and climate change as the top national security threats in our country, yet never once has denounced Marxism.” . . . (read more on Fox News)
What People Are Saying
(Comments on the article)
“It’s heart breaking. A lot of families, including my own, have served generation after generation. Imagine all the brothers and sisters we lost would say about the military today. So, I will do everything in my power to tell my son to NOT to fulfill that oath we all raised our hand for. From my family to any family out there that served, we had a hell of a run and I’m glad I served during and after the generations that stood for honor and commitment.”
“My grandfather, brother, husband, and many uncles and cousins all served. My boys grew up wanting to serve and now they are not interested! Between the woke propaganda and lack of readiness, we see, I don’t want them going to fight in a proxy war that our nation should have never been involved in from the beginning.”
“Our son, who graduated before his 21st birthday with dual college degrees, is a staff sergeant in Special Forces, spent his Christmas leave caring for my husband and I during serious cancer and cardiac surgeries in December. While he was home with us, he showed me an email from the DOD, with a survey attached, asking if he felt he was able to do his job without harming the environment. Guess who’s getting out.”
“I served 30 years in the Army. The libs try to blame the job market and the number of young people qualified to serve. I just read an article about a young female recruit considering doing whatever it takes to get out of her contract because she has to shower with transgender females with male genitalia. That is the real reason young people aren’t interested in the military. They realize that if they join, they will have no choice but to participate in these policies that promote depravity and perversion.”
“My great grandfather served in WWI, my grandfather was in the Aleutians during WW2, My great aunt was a WAC, my dad was in Vietnam, my mom served 20 years, all of my siblings and I served (at different times) between 1979 and 2015. My oldest daughter served 4 years from 2001-2005. While I am very patriotic, and was extremely proud to serve, I will not encourage my youngest daughter or my grandchildren to serve at this point in history. US Army 1981-2008
“I saw an article in which a soldier said he and many of his fellow soldiers are discouraging and even outright denying their sons and daughters to enter the military. They don’t want to see their children die for someone’s ideology. You can ask a man to die for honor, for his fellow countrymen, for his God. But none of them will lay their lives down for a government that has shown it has no plans to protect the families they will be leaving behind.”
“He is not alone. I know several military families. They have had at least one person in the military since they came to the US. In the case of one of the three families, that was since the revolutionary war. All three families have advised their younger members to not join. In two cases, members who were in the military have left. One resigned his commission, and the other refused reenlistment. My family has a history of every male member serving at least one enlistment. I have advised all three grand nephews to not enlist. The military has a decades long cycle of political generals messing everything up, and then war fighting generals coming in to fix it. This time I don’t think it can be fixed.”
“21 year veteran of the Air Force here…yes, we need to rekindle the warrior ethos back into our ranks. Too many useless distractions will get our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coasties and guardians killed. I have three daughters and they are not seeing the military as a future option or career path.”
“I think he is a smart young man. I retired from the military, but I would not recommend anyone join it today, nor would I. The few are doing their best to ruin everything in our country for the majority of us and even force the majority to pay for everything and anything the minority wants.”
“My son serves in the military and he told me that the enlisted do not trust anyone with the rank of 2nd Lt and above. The brass is seen as woke and political while not fully committed to the troops well being and readiness status. it usually left up to the individual combat soldiers to supplement their gear out of pocket to maintain personal combat readiness as best as they can. And they usually do a good job at it when allowed to.”
“I was kicked out of military for “misgendering” one of my fellow soldiers. I was told I could stay if I apologized and took classes on “diversity sensitivity awareness training”. I said F no, and now that I am out I am making a shirtload of money at a real job.”
“Me and my son-in-law are both Army vets. We both discouraged his son from joining. My entire family has served in the Army for at least 3 generations, but I would not join today. It saddens me to say that because I love America.”
“I did 20 years and 8 months. I’m the last in my family to serve, and no one in my bloodline will ever serve this country voluntarily again. Good people will no longer be party to this evil empire.”
“Afghanistan pull out and woke policies were enough to turn my boys (18 and 20) away from service. As a former marine I completely agree with their decisions.”
“I am a BRAT and served. I am 65 and i will do anything to prevent my grandkids from serving right now. The administration and the pentagon have changed our once great military into a social woke experiment and has and will continue to put America at risk.”
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