Statement to DACODAI by Lt Colonel Stephen H. Krikorian, USAF ret, USAFA ’76
Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI)
Dear members,
The point: Advise Secretary Austin to immediately and completely terminate all DEI efforts throughout the Department of Defense.
The prose: Throughout history, the most successful societies revered excellence in the human spirit. The successes of brute force and barbarism gave way to larger ideals as depth of thought evolved over time. The early Greek philosophers awakened humanity toward a structured sense of morality in life, and, of course, a few hundred years later, the teachings of Christ, through the gospels, were, and are, the final word on such matters…righteousness above all else. That’s a great word, “righteousness.” Do the right thing. An endless quandary for those burdened with impending decisions seeks, “Just what is the right thing?”
In military circles, as in most organizations where leadership has such a profound influence on success, character matters and history is replete with clear guidance…seek the most experienced, most talented, most righteous people. To suggest our military would reject “the best” in favor of “the under-represented” is foolish, inflicts great damage and erodes confidence.
Your committee is well aware of numerous examples in which the most capable were deliberately ignored to benefit alternative quotas for false and deceptive social constructs. Even worse, to speak out against such actions is met with retribution and/or dismissal…tyranny within our institutions which must and will be stopped.
I assure you our enemies won’t surrender because we have more sexual alphabets in our ranks. Our foes will not hesitate to rain hellfire upon us because we boast a delightful assortment of soldiers for whom standards were weakened to accommodate their upbringing from economically depressed neighborhoods.
The attentive are already aware DEI is failing everywhere. Commercial companies are disbanding their DEI programs because they are ineffective and costly, as well as repugnant.
The business world closely monitors return on investment (think Bud Light). Conversely, taxpayer funded DEI programs are particularly troublesome as poor cost-effectiveness goes unnoticed by gross lack of oversight and fiscal concern.
By far, however, the travesty in all this DEI nonsense is the loss of human talent and potential. Woke policies and DEI cause harm everywhere due to vicious, punitive implementation, lack of merit, false premises and results that are always disappointing…ultimately driving out the “the best” and leaving our fighting forces divided, less effective and vulnerable.
The Bolsheviks of Czarist Russia found the techniques of divisiveness very useful and effective. Admittedly, I was surprised how quickly the woke / DEI movement was forced our military…but there is a stench in the air more and more Americans are smelling. We must not allow the Marxists to corrupt our country and culture. DACODAI has an opportunity to help “right the ship.”
For the sake of the those who serve, our academies and our nation’s future, I encourage your committee to speak “truth to power.” Advise Secretary Austin to immediately and completely terminate all DEI efforts within the armed forces. As always, we (governmental agencies) will be the last to do so, for American corporations will have long ago dumped these programs.
I leave you with this thought…for every recruit, cadet, midshipman, soldier, sailor, airman, officer and NCO driven out of military service as a result of quotas, discrimination, illegal mandates, or intolerable conditions, we don’t release a dejected, unworthy person; we create a focused, energized and dedicated warrior for freedom and fairness who rises like a Phoenix.
Your committee has heard from some. Remember their names and mine; you may see them again. Be righteous! Do the right thing.
Respectfully,
Stephen H. Krikorian, LTC, USAF, retired
USAFA Bicentennial Class, “The Spirit of ‘76”
Leave a Comment