Sec. Wormuth- Woke Accusations Hurt Faith in Military Leadership

| June 15, 2023

Army secretary concerned ‘woke military’ criticism could hurt the service

Claims that the military has gone ‘woke’ are now an issue in the upcoming presidential election.

BY JEFF SCHOGOL

For more than two years, cable news pundits and Republican lawmakers have accused the military of going ‘woke,’ a loosely defined term that refers to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that Republican critics have claimed portray white people and the United States in a negative light. The term has been used to attack LGBTQ service members and to claim the military is becoming too feminine, unlike Russia.

Now ‘Wokeness’ in the U.S. military has already become an issue in next year’s presidential election.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who served in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General Corps, has made his criticisms of the ‘woke military’ a pillar of his campaign to win the Republican party’s presidential nomination. He recently vowed to change the name of Fort Liberty, North Carolina back to Fort Bragg if he is elected president.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on Tuesday that she is concerned about the drumbeat of criticism that the military has gone ‘woke’ becoming part of the 2024 presidential campaign.

“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 told reporters during a media roundtable. “I think the more our military leaders are sort of dragged into spaces that have been politicized like that, I think the more it contributes to this perception that they’re political when they really aren’t. So, I hope that we don’t see more of the kind of talk that’s been out in the past few days.”

Task and Purpose

YOU are the problem, Citizen. Diversity is a force multiplier and makes us a stronger and more capable fighting force because we say so. And the Afghanistan thing was Trump’s fault.

Category: Big Pentagon, Get woke, Points-and-Laughs

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Anonymous

To observe far-left policies hurt readiness is worse than far-left policies hurting readiness.

Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
Deckie

Their actual, proven, documented actions and rhetoric over the last three years was unpopular and came right back ‘round to bite them on their own asses and they act surprised and show concern?

It’s like they all think we’ll forget.

I look at our leadership right up to the folks wearing stars today and see people even recruits just off the bus for basic training neither fear nor respect.

Clowns. You created this mess.

QMC

Push radical leftwing policies in the services (I can’t imagine how senior leadership is having to deal with Pronouns, Trans, and other woke issues), abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban, ignore growing threat from China in the South Pacific, but yeah I’m the problem.

So glad I retired.

Anonymous

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ninja

You Reap What You Sow.

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Fyrfighter

You got the flag order wrong Ninja… according to gropey Joe, the fag flag should be front and center.

11B-Mailclerk

Wait. That isn’t a “graduated from basic” flag?

Hate_me

Cultural appropriation at its most acceptable.

Hack Stone

If diversity is essential to success in combat, why isn’t Joe Biden deploying some active duty Latin-X transgender troops to assist in the fighting in Ukraine?

11B-Mailclerk

LatinX sounds like a spanish-language (yet another) spin-off of Marvel Comics X-Men franchise.

rgr769

How about a battalion of gays and trannies?They would have to be more powerful than an infantry battalion of mostly white males.

Anonymous

Well, with all the health issues…
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President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

Dean Wormuth, there’s a dead horse in your office.

Army-Air Force Guy

If fat, drink, and stupid was all this administration was I’d be happy.

KoB

The only Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion the Military should be concerning itself with is…How many diverse weapons can we bring to bear? How can we equally divide said weapons among our forces? How can we include the destruction of all of our enemies with said weapons?

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

How many of the Diverse enemy can we Include in our next defense of the country by killing them?

Anonymous

Bullets don’t care about skin color, sex or whether one identifies as a peter puffer.

Blaster

When I joined the Army (1987) we were all “green”. There were no “groups”, and we all seemed to get along great. It looks like they fixed it till they broke it.

Anonymous

As depicted in Full Metal Jacket– “Here you are all equally worthless!”:

Last edited 1 year ago by Anonymous
Anonymous

Or as has been said today:
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Hate_me

Back when everyone was being compelled to insist that black lives matter (three tries before autocorrect didn’t capitalize that phrase), I’d get asked if I believe that black lives matter by my more progressive friends (yes, I have progressive friends; no, we don’t see eye-to-eye on most issues; yes, I’d take a baseball bat to your knee in their defense)….

My response, because I believe compelled speech is every bit as abhorrent as silenced speech, was always, “In what context?”

It started a few fights and cost me a few friends – but, in the grand scheme of things, the Earth ultimately gets swallowed by the Sun and no lives really matter.

Commissioner Wretched

I like to call it the “Frozen Ice Ball Theory.” It goes something like this …

It’s game 7 of the World Series, the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two outs, your team is up by two runs, and the biggest home run hitter in the league is up at bat. You have to pitch to him knowing that one mistake will cost you the World Series.
You calm yourself by remembering that in about two billion years, the Sun is going to run out of hydrogen and burn out. When it does, the Earth will become a frozen ice ball hurtling through space.
And at that time, no one will give a shit what you pitch threw with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Andy

Exactly! Then the observances of this month and that month and all that did was create a wedge that Obama opened into a chasm of separation.

Blaster

Easy fix to stopping the “Woke Criticism” = STOP being Woke!

Anonymous

Not that the younger generation has such sense to consider the matter these days:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-married-ai-chatbot-open-112455640.html

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Skivvy Stacker

I can see why she’s not really married.

Anonymous

Concur… a further article about her and her AI “husband”:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/woman-married-ai-chatbot-series-133226604.html

Sailorcurt

You don’t get it. The problem isn’t the policies, the problem is that we won’t help them keep the policies a secret.

Stop.talking.about.it!

CDR D

Hey, Christine! The whole world knows about your army…

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Blaster

But,,, his uniform looks fabulous!

timactual

But there is still room for a few more pieces of flair.

JustALurkinAround

It’s not an accusation, you insipid cunt, it’s an observation.

5JC

I’m more concerned about the politicization of federal law enforcement. The military won’t break into my house, shoot my Doberman, and illegally imprison me because I exercise my free speech online and say something they don’t like. Sure, the military might drone strike me if I visit the wrong country, but I’m not going to visit the wrong country, I’ve already been sent there by the military too many times, to want to visit it on my own.

Also the military isn’t going to take 14 years to investigate President bribery scheme for the candidate they like and 6 months for the one they don’t.

11B-Mailclerk

Yet.

Anonymous

Benefits and job security…
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Hate_me

Posse Comitatus can be lifted very easily. Insurrection Act is a master key for any despot-in-chief.

The military is not immune to political sway.

AW1 Rod

Nothing but psycho mumbo jumbo. NO basis in fact or empirical evidence to prove any of that bullshit, because it isn’t true.  Just politically correct garbage to try to justify their social engineering and social justice messaging/virtue signaling.  It’s all bullshit, and it’s impacting readiness and destroying the warfighter/warrior mentality required to fight (do whatever it takes) to win/defeat our enemies.

11B-Mailclerk

Right up there with “Shock and Awe”.

Then again, they needed something to make folks forget “Pentomic”.

AW1 Rod

Yeah. That concept died a well-deserved death in 1963.

Skivvy Stacker

“I think the more our military leaders are sort of dragged into spaces that have been politicized like that, I think the more it contributes to this perception that they’re political when they really aren’t. So, I hope that we don’t see more of the kind of talk that’s been out in the past few days.”

No one is blinder than she who will not see.

Green Thumb

Yeah.

She is a career GS / SES employee who checked the block of another historic first.

And look where that got us: disillusion in the ranks, failed Afghan withdrawal, poor view and perception of us by our allies (the ones we have not run off), retention in the shitter, recruitment way down, promotions based on other qualities outside of merit, low morale, lowered standards, lack of readiness and chicks with dicks showering with dudes and vice-versa.

And the list goes on an on.

Yeah. Don’t stop here. Pass the buck and move out.

Time to go.

11B-Mailclerk

Now now. Don’t steal glory from the whitehouseplant. He accomplished those hard to believe in 2.5 years results.

jeff LPH 3 63-66

“Woke Military”
The only woke I can get along with is. “When I Woke Up This Morning” by The Bop Chords 1957 on the Holiday label.

Mason

I think the military “leadership” is doing just fine eroding faith in their leadership capabilities all by themselves.

Commie-Tsar

Woke is where it’s at, comrades! Get on the bandwagon with me!

Anonymous

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Just An Old Dog

Lots of Military in My Family, when I came in and up until around 2010 or so a lot of my Cousins and Nephews were interested in Joining and encouraged by their elders. Since 2010 out of about 30 service age Males in my extended family not a single one has enlisted. They are all pretty fit, smart and out doors types plus Patriotic. The exact type the Military NEEDS.
But No, the military wants to fill it’s ranks with woke types.

Smitty

Obama promised to fundamentally change America. No one asked what he meant. Now we know.

Mason

Major, I’d like to give you this squadron and promote you to lieutenant colonel. You have a gay son though, and the squadron’s in Florida. For you family’s safety, I’m giving the promotion to Major Lewis. His kids are all straight.

So woke.

Anonymous

Not tp mentional all this over Space Command… Democrats want it to stay in Colorado and not go to Alabama:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-lawmakers-turn-heat-air-214651963.html

fm2176

Here’s the thing, from this potentially unqualified retired Infantryman’s perspective…

When I joined, way back in the halcyon days of ’01 (admittedly, I’m a spring chicken compared to some here, but might be considered an “old man” to some newer visitors), the Army consisted of motivated young persons, with Combat Arms consisting mostly of racists white men who wished to serve their nation to their fullest. As time went on, I noticed the disparity between the rank-and-file and the leadership: we might have had 2-3 black Soldiers in the company, and 10 or so Hispanics, but at least 1/3rd of our enlisted leadership at the company and above level were usually minorities. Great leaders, can’t fault them for their race, but just saying. As a Drill Sergeant in 2017, every Hispanic in the battalion got picked up for E7, and most on Sand Hill did, while very few whites did. Read into that what you will.

The military has gone woke, in my opinion, or at least it’s become too wary of social agendas pushed by our current administration and certain Leftist politicians. It’s funny, back in 2020 we had a sensing session led by the acting J/G3, a newly promoted COL with an Aviation background, where he brought up white privilege. One of our Coast Guard Lieutenant Commanders (a white female) concurred with the privilege thing…she’d gone through the Academy and had a brother that went through West Point, coming from a well-off family. A Hispanic SSG and me proceeded to tear down the privilege thing, where he stated that his tattoos and such would rightfully get him profiled and I brought up my trailer park origins and how easily I could have become a criminal addict like much of my friends and family.

Diversity is putting on a uniform, serving selflessly, and being willing to make each day the last you breathe in defense of your country. The other bullshit is just that: some woke “look at me, screw you Hetero-Whitey” nonsense that does not belong in our military.