The U.S. military faces an uphill battle in recruiting new soldiers, with 77 percent of young Americans deemed unfit for service due to physical and mental health issues. The military has attempted to combat the dismal recruitment numbers by loosening restrictions on recruits with mental health problems, as well as increasing body fat allowances for recruits.
But the Biden administration has taken the military’s recruitment efforts one step further by introducing diversity, equity, and inclusion measures into the military branches. These measures, such as a policy of gender neutral written communications in the Air Force, aim to improve “lethality.”
However, some are concerned that the military’s focus on diversity and inclusion is being put ahead of the security and strength of the American defense. During a Wednesday Pentagon budget hearing, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) argued that the military’s transgender inclusion policies, such as allowing biological men to shower with female soldiers, would hurt recruitment of a key military demographic: men from the American South.
“Do you think you’re going to recruit more of them with this kind of stuff?” Gaetz asked Gen. James McConville. “Probably not,” the general replied.
Gaetz argued that the policy of transgender inclusion hindered the goal of building a “cohesive team,” telling Army Secretary Christine Wormuth that condoning “people with male genitalia showering with your female soldiers” would hurt recruitment of women.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a big positive recruiting pitch to women that when someone shows up with male genitalia in their shower stall, that we tell them that we’re trying to build a cohesive team,” Gaetz said.
Allowing men to shower with women in the military DOES NOT build a more cohesive unit.
Even Army Chief of Staff General McConville admitted that this weird force-feeding of DEI from the Army will not help with our nation’s military recruitment crisis. pic.twitter.com/PEAvfUUPkD
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 19, 2023
The Army has already missed its FY 2022 recruitment goal by 25 percent, and it expects continued decline in 2023. While diversity and inclusion are important for any organization, especially the military, it is important to ensure that recruitment efforts are focused on building a strong and secure American defense, rather than pushing the trans movement.