Hegseth denied promotions to military members who promoted DEI and the Covid vaccine

Sometimes a headline comes along that just makes you feel happy.

From The Independent:

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blocked promotions for military officers who supported Covid-19 vaccines and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to an article on MS NOW.

Citing THREE military officials, MS NOW reported that Hegseth sidestepped the Pentagon’s merit-based promotion process in favor of new criteria that disproportionately affected women and people of color.

“I was like ‘you gotta be kidding me’,” a senior official said. A Pentagon spokesperson, meanwhile, told The Independent that the department remains “committed to ensuring that all advancement is merit-based.” . . . .

. . . . An unnamed senior official told MS NOW that the defense secretary’s office led a “planned and deliberate process” that used internet searches to vet those being considered for promotion as flag and general officers. Instructions on the new criteria were relayed by phone rather than put in writing.

At least 12 officers had their promotions withheld.

Their files flagged activities such as allowing a celebration featuring rainbow flags or a Pride Month event, serving as a diversity liaison officer, participating in a Minority Aviation Panel at the United States Naval Academy or being quoted in an article about the importance of diversity.

Others were flagged for disciplining an officer who refused a Covid-19 vaccine, speaking about the importance of vaccination or encouraging sailors to get vaccinated. . . .

(OUR NOTE: Nice)

. . . . When reached by The Independent, the Pentagon provided a statement attributed to spokesman Sean Parnell.

“The Secretary of War is committed to ensuring that our Military’s most senior leaders are committed to warfighting, lethality, and dominance in combat,” Parnell said. “We are reviving the warrior ethos and are stronger and more focused than ever.”

“Military officers serve at the pleasure of the President and the Secretary, and the Department is committed to ensuring that all advancement is merit-based so that only the best and most qualified gain the privilege of leading our Warfighters in advancing the National Defense Strategy,” he said, adding that Hegseth “will not retreat from the historic transformation he has undertaken.”

Additional from Military.com:

. . . . The paper files described to MS NOW show that the findings used against more than a dozen senior officers included the following:

• Pride Month activities.
• Rainbow flags.
• The establishment of a diversity committee and task force aboard the USS Kearsarge.
• A speech at a Hispanic heritage celebration aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
• A Minority Aviation Panel at the Naval Academy.
• An International Women’s Day panel at U.S. Africa Command.
• A photo with the command triad after a second COVID vaccination aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

OUR NOTE: Nice.

American military officers pushing an anti-American, radical, divisive Marxist-based agenda on the military as well as an illegal, untested vaccine on troops–all of which caused good people to leave or get kicked out of the military and cause a recruitment crisis–shouldn’t be promoted in the US military.

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