Of all endeavors, the military is one where merit and ability should prevail above all when deciding who to promote. After all, diversity hires matter little when the nation is under attack.
This point is once again lost on the Biden administration, which this week rejected merit-based promotions in the armed forces. Instead, the White House insisted that race and gender be prominent in deciding who moves up in military ranks.
Biden OBJECTS to MERIT-BASED military promotions. The White House came out AGAINST a provision in the annual defense spending bill that would require the military to base promotion decisions on who is the best candidate for the job, regardless of race. https://t.co/tYSCHAPs8h pic.twitter.com/Xi8wgr38p4
— CJ4America (@GrammyC4Zone) July 12, 2023
The administration took issue with the latest National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on several fronts. Of particular note are the efforts by some in Congress to turn back the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) edicts imposed after Biden was sworn in.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) loudly protested the move toward merit, saying it is committed to building “a cohesive and inclusive force.”
The woke pronouncement praised the “diverse and dynamic talent pool” utilized by the armed forces. It also stressed the importance of a “dignified, respectful and safe workplace.”
Failure to maintain this diversity, according to the OMB, puts the military in a position of “strategic disadvantage.” Strange how neither China nor Russia feel they are at a “disadvantage” by promoting based on merit.
The merit stipulation simply requires the military to hire and promote those “who exhibit the talent and abilities necessary to promote the national security of the United States.”
Which raises the obvious question of what other concerns should there even be?
There were several other provisions originating from Republicans in Congress that drew the wrath of the White House. Apparently Critical Race Theory and drag shows are necessary for national security.
The administration singled out prohibitions on each in the military as measures it opposed.
There is also an embattled provision to slash the Pentagon position of DEI chief. It would prohibit Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from “appointing or employing a military or civilian employee whose duties include diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) is responsible for writing the prohibition on racial and gender quotas along with the DEI limitation. He told the New York Post that the Biden administration calling out his provisions is “a badge of honor.”
Banks declared that “wokeness is a cancer that will destroy our military from the inside if we don’t stop it.”
