Blaming the weatherman for the bad weather
The Army’s top civilian leader pushed back amid Republican criticisms that the military is going too “woke,” arguing such critiques are deepening an already troubling recruiting crisis.
“We are a ready Army, not a ‘woke’ Army,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters last week, according to a report in Task & Purpose. “That’s something, frankly, the chief [Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville] and I said throughout posture season in hearings, in meetings with members of Congress.”
Wormuth’s comments come as all branches of the military have come under fire for what some critics see as “woke” policies, arguing the services have been prioritizing classes and training on diversity, equity, and inclusion over readiness to fight the nation’s wars.
The comments come as the military contends with its worst recruiting crisis since switching to an all-volunteer model over a half century ago, with all branches coming up short of expectations that have forced them to get creative in finding ways to fill the ranks.
The Army, the country’s largest military branch, has been particularly hard hit by the crisis, coming up 15,000 recruits short of meeting its fiscal year 2022 goals. While leaders such as Wormuth have expressed optimism in recent months that the Army has turned the tide, the branch still expects to fall short of 2023 goals.
During a media roundtable last week, the Army leader pointed toward the “woke” criticism as another hurdle the service is facing.
“I think one of the things that we see that’s contributing to a decline in trust in the military is a concern on both sides of the aisle about politicization of our military leaders,” Wormuth said. . . . (read more on Fox News)
What People Are Saying
(Comments on the article)
“Having just retired from the military within the last year, I’m guessing this woman has not had to sit through the “mandatory training” that has begun since Biden took over. If she had, she would have the answer to the question about wokeness.”
“I served 34 1/2 years in the military! Retired May 2022! The military has become political, and is going woke!!! I got tired of having to sit thru briefing weekly on diversity and acceptance! If you were minority you were giving preferential treatment when it came to promotion, schools, housing and positions and duty locations! I’m glad I’m out and I won’t recommend anyone joining!”
“According to my recently retired brother who served 27 years, the military has been going woke for a long time.”
“My nephew, a Master Sergeant tells me recruits are leaving immediately after enlistments expire. They are sick and tired of all the seminars, reading materials, and strange impromptu “interviews” probing attitudes toward race, gender, and sexual preference. Retention is an even bigger problem than recruitment. The military has turned into a social experiment laboratory.”
“With all due respect…. I’ve come from a long line of family members serving this great country. I retired in Feb 2023 after 24 YOS. Couldn’t take the forced “It’s not OK to be White” training requirement. Our military is designed to defend, protect and kill if necessary. But no- Democrats want us to be on the same playing field as all 3rd world countries so we can be ruled by power hungry socialists. No thanks Brandon!!!”
“Family served Marine Corps and Army with multiple combat tours. Told all my 5 sons to not even consider a career in the military. The leadership has betrayed their mission. Lie all they want but combat readiness is not their goal.”
“I can tell you here in the real world my Grandson just out of college, Eagle Scout, 3 years NJROTC, many hours of community service, very athletic and many of his Friends want nothing to do with Biden WOKIES.”
“One of the biggest factors for recruitment is family that has served; simply read the comments. I served myself, and have family that has also served going back to the founding of this country. This tradition is coming to an end, as I will discourage my son from service, and none of my nieces/nephews will serve either. This is an issue that is easy to fix, but based on the Biden administration, they will double down on bad decisions. How sad!”
“I retired in 2019 and most of my fellow soldiers were all saying they would retire or not re-enlist because we could see what was coming down the road. The military does not want to go woke, and should never be used for politics and testing new social policies.”
“It is not the rhetoric. It is the imposition of woke on potential recruits. Same as any corporation. Go woke go broke. In the military case, go woke, no poke. Recruits to the military do not want the woke lifestyle.”
“I served in the Nay in the 80’s and 90’s; my son is currently in the National Guard and is preparing for his 3rd deployment. Listening to him talk, anti-woke rhetoric is NOT the problem. The woke policies and inept leadership at the top ARE the problems. Flag officers are being put into positions they are not suited for because of who they know, because they have the right agendas or because they do not “rock the boat”. Meanwhile, other candidates are not selected and pretty much forced to retire because they are willing to call out issues and stand up for their soldiers, sailors and marines. These inept leaders and their failed policies are having a direct impact on retention. My son was telling me this week how his unit struggles to retain people.”
“They don’t get it. Normal young men do not want to be associated with an organization that caters to sexually deviant individuals.”
“The horror to this “woke” culture affecting the military is that the military is/was a great place for young adults to learn and understand what responsibility really is. The military is truly a mixed salad of people from various demographics of our country. And once you are adjusted to being responsible you build camaraderie amongst your peers. Life long bonds, but when you force confusing ideology amongst service members they inveterately are going to question everything they have learned. It just doesn’t need to be forced upon service members.”
“I served 22 years in the Army, retiring in 2006. I was also in USAREC, the Army’s recruiting command, for a number of years. I have seen some wild swings over the years given the politics in the USA. But never anything like this. Using cartoons that exploit the sexuality of a recruit’s parents is just whacky. You are a fighting force. Concentrate on fighting and winning wars. Use that Warrior mentality in your recruiting campaigns and you will succeed. Look at the Marines. They are staying fairly focused during this Woke political climate. They are leading by example.”
“Perhaps they don’t want to be subject to the leadership they witnessed in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.”
“USMC 84 to 92, don’t ask don’t tell. My daughter is now in the Corps, one of her instructors is a gay man married to a man. NOT WOKE HUH? THIS IS HURTING OUR MILITARY!!”
“9 generations of our family served in the Navy and Marines. Generation X opted out. Generation Z never considered it. You have to believe the government and people you serve. The Democrats are unbelievable.”
“People will only fight for someone they believe in or something they believe in. Biden and today’s America is not worth the fight.”
“My family has a long history of all males serving in our armed services. It has always been understood that those that have served honorably were the best promoters of their family members and acquaintances to likewise serve their country. As you can see from many of the responses above this is no longer the case. I too discouraged my grandson from joining and will do the same to anyone considering joining the military. Simple reason is this Democrat Administration under Biden has changed the focus of the true mission of the American military, which is to defend the Constitution and the citizens of the USA. Political indoctrination is a Communist strength, not an American one. We live our freedoms without government interference or guidance. When this clown show is over we need to retire out or otherwise remove the “woke” civilian and military leadership from the ranks of military service and get back to protecting America from enemies foreign and domestic.”
“AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN”
“Maybe if the leadership stopped calling straight white males that are serving domestic terrorists, that would be a good start.”
“As a proud veteran of 14 years I absolutely understand why people no longer wish to join. The current mess in the armed forces is as all political making. Something that has no place in the military.”
“As a veteran, I have to say, that it deeply concerns me that China prepares for war, while America prepares for “woke”. We have taken our eye off the ball! This woke garbage starts at the top and is pushed down through the chain of command! While I find it disgraceful to our men and women in uniform, more importantly I find it very concerning that the enemy now knows just how vulnerable we are as a country with our failed leadership/policies!”
“I no longer recommend military service. Its kinda hard to fight a war when you are worried about pronouns. Served over 24 years USN.”
“My immediate family have a combined service of 90 years. I would not encourage anyone to join and be abandoned to die like Joe Biden did in Afghanistan or Hillary Clinton did in Benghazi.”
“Well, no kidding recruiting waaaaay is down. If you’re a straight, White, patriotically-minded your person the military is saying that it doesn’t want you. US Army 1989-2012”
“I served in the AF from 1976 – 2004. Up until recent years, I’d recommended military service to young people as a great merit-based opportunity to serve the country and attain education and a salable skill set. No way will I recommend today’s woke mess of a military to anyone.”
“USMC 05-09. Word is from folks I know still there that I wouldn’t even recognize it.”
“Wormuth is lying through her teeth. I just retired Jan of 2022 and woke policies were being enforced and promotion limiting (reprimand letters) punishments were being handed out to leaders using the wrong pronouns.”
“I’m an army vet, my three brothers are vets, my dad was a vet, and so was my step-dad. Who wants to go die for a corrupt government that won’t even protect its borders, democracy, our way of life and our ideals?”
“You went woke first sweet pea. We responded. I spent 23 years in, I wouldn’t join now. Are you willing to die for a country run on Biden’s policies?”
“This woman is delusional. Every one of my former soldiers who got out did so because of this woke nonsense that harms morale and readiness.”
“The forced Covid shots didn’t help. My son stuck it out and somehow managed to stay in the guard, but he’s lost respect for the man in the office. If they had contested him another time he was about to give up, not the honor he was seeking by joining in the first place.”
“I’m proud of my daughter’s service and I am also happy that she did not re-sign when her contract was up. After the pullout debacle in Afghanistan where we handed power back to the terrorists we fought against, what did our service men and women get for losing their lives and injuries that the survivors will live with the rest of their lives? What is the point in fighting for a country where its leaders will not even protect its own borders? All of the service men and women who have given all in previous wars just so our leaders today can give it away to anyone who crosses the border illegally, really, what is the point in serving under this kind of administration? This administration and any other like it in the future are a disgrace to the United States of America. The sad part is that if we are involved in another war and recruitment continues to fall a draft will be necessary. I guess that will be the wake up call for all the woke voter’s. Unfortunately, their kids will be the ones who pay the price for their parents voting practices.”
“The Left continues to fail due to it’s own policies, and will never admit that what they are doing is counter-productive. They all fall back to the same page on their playbook – blame someone else.”
“I come from a long line of those who served. Myself, I spent 22 years in Combat Arms in the Army. My youngest son has 16 years in the infantry, and we both agree that neither he or I think much of today’s military leadership at the top. I would never join today. Never.”
“The people that traditionally join our military love America and would die defending it. Leftists hate our country and think it’s just another faculty lounge social experiment, not to defend us and win wars. I know, I joined shortly after Vietnam and retired in 2008.”
“Easy fix. Stop going woke.”
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