President Donald Trump's attack on the Department of Defense’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs is wrong. If he’s successful, it would be destructive to military operations, effectiveness, morale, and recruitment.
His senseless interference with longstanding DOD policies to improve race and gender relations among the troops is another example of his lack of real-world knowledge and experience. He has no military experience and doesn't seem to understand the damage he may cause.
The executive order ending military DEI programs makes this clear. Reading beyond the pro-forma opening statement about being “committed to meritocracy and to the elimination of race-based and sex-based discrimination,” it is obvious Trump doesn't understand the purpose and importance of DEI training.
The executive order bans programs that “promote a race-based preferences system that subverts meritocracy, perpetuates unconstitutional discrimination, and promotes divisive concepts or gender ideology.” The order closes all “DEI offices” and prohibits DOD activities “from promoting, advancing, or otherwise inculcating … un-American, divisive, discriminatory, radical, extremist, and irrational theories” about race and gender.
A Pentagon spokesman said, “Discriminatory equity ideology is a form of woke cultural Marxism that has no place in our military.” Anyone familiar with our military knows this is clearly absurd.
I am a veteran with 20 years of service who participated in many briefings on race relations, equal opportunity, and proper respect for women soldiers. My military leadership training stressed the need for subordinate soldiers to feel valued, appreciated, and included in the team. It wasn't called DEI back then, but the purpose of the training was the same: to reduce interpersonal tensions from racial, ethnic, religious or gender prejudices to improve unit cohesion and effectiveness.
Teamwork is essential for accomplishing any military mission. Soldiers experiencing unfair treatment or discrimination will not be fully engaged with the mission. This will hurt morale, job performance, and unit effectiveness. It can result in soldiers coming home injured or in a body bag.
DEI principles are widely taught and practiced in business, government, academia, and other organizations because they work. It is widely known that treating people — employees and customers — fairly and without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation makes organizations more productive, profitable, and successful. DEI can also lower recruitment and retention costs.
In 1948, President Harry Truman issued an executive order integrating the Armed Forces. Truman was not a woke liberal promoting social engineering. He was a combat veteran and pragmatic politician. Despite his racist upbringing and personal prejudices, he recognized that times were changing. He was appalled that Black combat veterans, on returning home from World War II, were discriminated against, beaten, and lynched.
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Following Truman's executive order, the U.S. military led the nation in establishing equal opportunity. Military jobs became open to all based on merit. All servicemembers, including women, received equal pay and benefits based on rank and years of service.
But racism in the military did not end. During the Vietnam War, racism and discrimination at all levels resulted in race riots. Some Black soldiers refused to fight, and some soldiers were murdered. The military had serious problems requiring improved race relations.
Today, many sources say racist, misogynistic, gender- and sexual orientation-biased, and anti-government attitudes among military servicemembers is on the rise.
For political reasons, Trump has made eliminating DEI a top priority for all federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding. This objective is deplorable, unjustified, and un-American. It is an assault on decency and common sense that will not end well for our military or the rest of the country.
Philip Anderson of Maple is a member of Veterans for Peace Chapter 80. This commentary was proofread and edited by Tom Morgan, director emeritus of the Alworth Center for the Study of Peace and Justice at the College of St. Scholastica, and Army veteran Warren Howe of Park Point, prior to being submitted to the News Tribune. Morgan and Howe are also members of Chapter 80 of Veterans for Peace.
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