Actually, diversity is our strength
Christi Siver for the Avon Hills Salon
The recent “Signal-gate” controversy---created when National Security Adviser Mike Waltz added Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of the Atlantic, to a Signal group text---exposed several Trump administration officials’ poor judgement and rudimentary communication skills (really, fist bump, American flag, and fire emojis?). The most dangerous revelation is that Pete Hegseth, one of the most underqualified candidates to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, demonstrated a lack of professionalism and discretion that could have endangered U.S. service personnel and has harmed important American alliances.
What is perhaps more shocking than the original texts is Hegseth’s outright denial and unwillingness to take accountability for his actions. Hegseth told a reporter on March 25 “nobody’s texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” The notion that specific timing and weapons packages were not classified information is implausible. The fact that Hegseth, while a host on Fox News, said of the Hillary Clinton email server scandal, “Everyone knows what ‘top secret’ means,” just adds to the blatant hypocrisy.
Sadly, this is just one of many actions Secretary Hegseth has taken that disrespect and weaken the military he is supposed to be leading.
In one of his first actions as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth reaffirmed President Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI programs throughout the government. A post-it note, later also posted on X read, “The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays." Pentagon websites have been scrubbed of notable accomplishments of Black, women, and Native American veterans. Even a picture of the “Enola Gay,” the plane that dropped the atomic bomb, was censored.
While some of these websites have been restored after public outcry, Hegseth’s message has had a chilling effect at the service academies. They may not use race in admissions decisions (despite an exception in the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions vs. University of North Carolina and Harvard). DEI offices must be closed and DEI programs must be cancelled. Curricula may not include any DEI content, including instruction on “gender ideology.”
Hegseth also has sought to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order on sex by preventing people “with a history of gender dysphoria” from enlisting or re-enlisting in the military. He has ordered the military to cancel medical procedures related to gender transitions for people currently serving. Despite admitting that transgender soldiers should be treated with “dignity and respect,” he is effectively forcing them out by denying needed medical care. Although federal courts have blocked this action, Hegseth’s orders have created a hostile environment for transgender servicemembers.
Secretary Hegseth is also ending DOD’s programs on climate adaptation. He wrote, “The @DeptofDefense does not do climate change crap.” The Pentagon has cancelled several studies on the relationship between climate change and conflict and plans to zero out any existing contracts that include the word “climate.” The military will cease research on powering vehicles with renewable energy, leaving U.S. personnel reliant on fossil fuels and vulnerable to the supply interruptions that were common in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military bases are already vulnerable to sea level rise: the roads leading into Naval Station Norfolk in Virgina are frequently flooded and impassable. The sea level in the region has risen 18 inches since 1930. According to Department of Defense officials in 2024, more than 1,700 of the 5,000 U.S. military installations around the world are in coastal areas and thus vulnerable to sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
Repeatedly, Secretary Hegseth has argued that he is returning the military to its original purpose and identity, “the warrior ethos.” The Trump administration has even claimed credit for the fact that in 2024 all military services, for the first time in many years, met or exceeded their recruitment goals. During his confirmation hearing, Hegseth stated, “We’ve already seen it in recruiting numbers … There’s already been a surge since President Trump won the election.”
However, recruiting numbers increased steadily during 2024, with the highest total in August before the election. Increases in minority and female enlistment accounted for much of the increase; the Army had the highest number ever of Hispanic recruits and saw a 6% percent increase in Black recruiting. Nearly 10,000 women signed up, which marked an 18% increase from 2023.
Former Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth noted that the increase, rather than being a response to Trump’s message on anti-wokeness, was driven by the creation of the Future Soldier Preparatory Course that helps potential recruits prepare academically and physically to meet enlistment requirements. This program has been predominately used by young men who otherwise would not meet the minimum requirements. Young women do not face the same barriers to entry because they are more likely to have no criminal background and a college degree.
Young people also care a great deal about the dangers of climate change; a survey, published in The Lancet Planetary Health in October 2024, documents that almost 60% of young people (ages 16-25) are very or extremely worried about climate change and its impacts on its people and the planet. Rolling back DEI, trans rights, and climate resilience programs is unlikely to help the military meet its future recruitment goals.
While Secretary Hegseth might think that "the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength’," having a diverse array of perspectives has strengthened the military in addressing the dynamic security challenges the United States is likely to face in the coming years. Wars today take place on a variety of battlefields. They are still fought on the ground, at sea, and in the air (think of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). However, American forces do more than apply brute force in battle; they apply advanced technologies on physical battlegrounds and conduct military operations in cyberspace and outer space. These conflicts require our brightest minds regardless of their identity.
While he may believe he is promoting “fairness,” he ignores the systemic discrimination in the military (and in the broader society) that has required programs so that women, people of color, and Native Americans could have the opportunity to demonstrate their potential. The damage that Secretary Hegseth is doing to the U.S. military will not easily be undone by a future administration and is a greater threat to readiness than what he classifies as “wokeness.”