Commentary: Feelings don’t win wars – lethality does

There is an epidemic in the United State military. It's not the kind of epidemic that Anthony Fauci profits from, but an epidemic that is truly threatening our national security.

Since the days of Barack Obama’s presidency, the Pentagon has started focusing more on social experiments than on excellence. Woke liberals have made it their mission to indoctrinate cadets at our military academies with Marxist ideas, force transgender ideology on our troops, and claim that “extremism” is pervasive in our military. Their mission is simple: Transform our military into a weak, feelings-first social program that promotes leftist ideas.

We cannot let that happen. The true mission of the U.S. military remains: Win wars and act as a deterrent against potential wars.

The American military is the greatest fighting force the world has ever known – and the greatest force for freedom. While other countries try to conquer, America defends and liberates. And the men and women who compose our military represent the greatest forms of sacrifice and courage.

But the left views our military differently. Leftists put pronouns before petty officers, diversity initiatives before Devil Dogs, wokeness before warriors. In other words, they care more about programming and indoctrinating our men and women in uniform than they care about the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines themselves. It’s shameful, and America deserves better.

Potential recruits clearly agree, and it is no surprise that the Army missed its 2022 recruiting goals by 25%. The Navy and Air Force missed their recruiting targets as well.

The United States needs real leaders to stand up to this nonsense and fight back. And I don’t just mean posting a statement on Twitter. I mean real action.

First, we need leaders in Congress to defund DEI initiatives that have wormed their way into every corner of our military. The Pentagon is spending tens of millions of dollars hiring individuals whose sole job is DEI. That’s absurd. That money should be immediately repurposed to pay for next-generation equipment that will defeat America’s enemies. We need military members focused on actual warfighting – not making someone feel special.

Second, it’s time for military commanders to be courageous and push back. Wokeness is rotting our military from the inside out, distracting from the actual mission of the Unites States military. We don’t need political military leaders who are only worried about advancing their careers. We need officers to fulfill their responsibility to put the mission first and take care of the troops under their command. Commanders should find ways to minimize the nonsense on their bases, promote unifying leadership initiatives that lead to improving warfighting, and deliver blunt and direct feedback to their superiors about how the obsession with DEI is damaging our military.

Third, we need voters to make their voices heard. When the American people speak loudly, politicians are forced to listen. It’s not enough for members of Congress to just say the right thing; we must hold them accountable at the ballot box based on their actions. Ask your congressman and senator: What specific actions have you taken to stop the work nonsense in our military?

Excellence is the standard in the United State military. We should accept nothing less. But when we allow leftists to make “feelings” the standard, we are jeopardizing our national security. China, Russia, and Iran love it when America’s military is distracted with drag shows on military bases. Enough is enough. It’s time that the Pentagon refocuses on defending our country.

John Warren is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, and combat veteran who served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. Warren is the co-author of "Lead Like a Marine" and the honorary chairman of South Carolina’s Conservative Future.