Posted on 05/08/2023 2:15:01 PM PDT by grimalkin
Veterans of the United States military are refusing to help out with efforts to relieve the Pentagon's acute recruitment problems citing the wokeness problem embedded in the current military structure as their reason to not get involved.
As reported by Just The News, the military has a major recruitment problem among Americans, however, that by itself is not exactly a new development. As previously noted by the DC Enquirer, while obesity rates are an external problem for the military force, wokeness poses an internal problem within the armed forces. The vast majority of Americans from the 17-24 demographic are, according to a Department of Defense study, unfit for military services - primarily due to obesity rates among that demographic.
The Heritage Foundation's Director of the Center for National Defense, Thomas Spoehr, proclaimed that "Woke ideology undermines military readiness in various ways. It undermines cohesiveness by emphasizing differences based on race, ethnicity, and sex. It undermines leadership authority by introducing questions about whether promotion is based on merit or quota requirements."
A lot of other military veterans like Spoehr have similarly weighed into the problem of wokeness in the armed forces.
Many veterans did not react as expected after the Navy Times published an article titled "Veterans may be key to solving the US military recruitment crisis" which called for veterans to be "deeply engaged at all levels of the recruitment process, modeling how meaningful a life of service can be." The Military Times wrote that in the aftermath of that article in Navy Times, the former outlet "was inundated with hundreds of emails from veterans saying they would do no such thing." Why? Most of those emails cited in one form or another wokeness.
Some of those reactions are captured in the citations below from military veterans.
Peter Demas, a third-generation veteran, wrote that "I wouldn’t encourage anyone to join today’s armed forces and I discouraged both of my sons from considering serving...America’s military leaders have sold out the Services for their own advancement and reflect all the poorest qualities of civilian ‘leadership’ from whom they accepted thirty pieces of silver; instead of being the nation’s repository of integrity and moral courage, they have become more political than the political animals they grovel before."
Dale Papworth, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, wrote that "[w]ith a woke military, whose most senior officer is concerned about ‘white rage,’ searching for a tattle tale process to discover and discharge white ‘extremists,’ blaming it on toxic masculinity, discharging real warriors for not getting vaccinated, having a two-day stand down to discuss white extremism, the promotion and expansion of women in combat, lowering physical fitness standards to accommodate naturally weaker women, recruiting with social justice and diversity ads, stating we need more female and minority pilots, promotions based on the color of one’s skin or genitalia, lowering recruiting standards, blaming the military for 247 years of institutional racism, is not the military I was in for 26 years."
One individual named Adam wrote that "My 19-year-old has expressed in no uncertain terms he does not want to serve in the U.S. military in any capacity...the politicization of our [government] institutions is creeping into the services now, and that is also having an effect. They may as well put out a sign that conservative or right of center Americans are not welcome. They just keep making it worse with their messaging. Boys want to be challenged and go on adventures, not be schooled on pronouns or the sins of their skin color. Girls want to beat boys and prove themselves."
The response by the Pentagon to these concerns seems to be a doubling down of the woke ideology in the military. Evidentially, the brass and/or the politicians think that drag queen influencers will help drive recruitment numbers.
When Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) pointed out that drag queen shows appeared to be a funded event on military bases, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, responded by saying, "I'd like to take a look at those, because I don't agree with those. I think those things shouldn't be happening." A lot of veterans seem to concur.
Moderator, if you can remove the “What are you searching for?” from the headline, that would be great. Thanks.
I tell anyone who will listen, not to let their children sign up with today’s military, or if at a function with a teenager I give my advice to stay far away from today’s military. I am doing my part to help our younger generation steer clear of this one world police force.
The trust is gone.
I understand.
I’ve encouraged 3 sons not to go die for the neocons in ukraine.
I remember back around 2000 junior officers referred to seniors as the dark side. The did a survey at CGSC @ Leavenworth and resulting in Majors stating that senior officers would run them over with truck to further their career.
The response from GEN Eric “The Monica” Shinseki was to go the Leavenworth and bitch out the majors.
Now we’ve reverted back past that point, hit rock bottom and continue to dig.
It’s really a safety issue - do you want your son or grandson to get in a helicopter driven by someone who was NOT promoted based on their skill level ? I don’t …
I have 3 nephews whose fathers both served and 3 of their 4 grandfathers served. 1 had an ROTC scholarship awarded until it was yanked 2 weeks after they sent an officer to present it to him due to an allergic reaction to peanuts when he was 8. He was the most gung-ho of the 3. Then Biden was elected. Now, neither of the two younger are even considering enlisting.
My small town used to send 15-20 high school graduates every year. Over the past 2 years, only 6 have joined.
“Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, responded by saying, “I’d like to take a look at those, because I don’t agree with those.”
...said General Milley as he took a smell of the pink carnation on the lapel of his uniform.
I, however, still encourage bright and patriotic young folks to consider military service.
If we discourage the best and most responsible young folks among us, only the less-desirables will apply. Not good for anyone.
As a Vet from a family of Vets (and with two "kids" still in uniform) I don't think that we should surrender our finest institutions to the leftists and the unreliables.
It’s not real hard to figure out what’s going on here as the warmongers in DC do everything possible to destroy recruitment and retention. They don’t want the perverts and layabouts they advertise for. They are coming for our healthy, normal and innocent young sons and grandsons. A simple majority vote from this warmongering Congress gives them all the American boys they’d ever need for all of their globalist misadventures. From the Selective Service Administration:
Overview of What Would Occur if the United States Returned to a Draft:
1. Draft Authorization: Congress and the President
A national emergency, exceeding the Department of Defense’s capability to recruit and retain its total force strength, requires Congress to amend the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the President to induct personnel into the Armed Forces.
2. Activation of Selective Service System
Selective Service activates and orders all personnel to report for duty. Reserve Force Officers, along with selected military retirees, begin to open Area Offices to accept registrant claims. Local, District Appeal, and National Board members are notified to report for refresher training.
The left knew this would be the result. Because they have a history of wrecking American institutions and culture.
I served in the Army1969 to 1972. It was totally FUBAR, but we were at least allowed to be men.
Tell the military to try and enlist from the woke crowd that they cater to. They probably won’t find many takers among them. I certainly wouldn’t advise any young person to join today.
Oh, heck no.
No Christian should join the military until the traitors within the military (starting at the top with SecDefComPoop and going on down through the Branch Secretaries, and the flag officers) are tried, convicted, and receive the sentence they deserve.
Or if they are sexually aroused from battle and they sexually oriented to want you.
Ditto
They aren’t wrecking the military. They are repurposing it.
“...which called for veterans to be “deeply engaged at all levels..”
I am “engaged” whenever I have the opportunity and advise NO!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.