US: Pentagon draws flak after stating diversity, equity & inclusion 'necessities' in Army

The US Department of Defense's decision on new "necessities" for the US military, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, has sparked outrage on social media. According to the Pentagon (Department of Defense), 41% of military personnel identify as members of minority groups, and this figure is expected to rise. Bishop Garrison, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, shared the data on the official website of the US Department of Defense. Garrison spoke with the Center for a New American Security on the department's progress and what remains to be done, as per a Pentagon release. 

Many Americans are concerned that "woke" tendencies, such as heightened attention to pronouns, identity, sexual orientation, and guaranteeing diversity, are infiltrating the US military. However, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby believes that these and other new concepts may actually "make troops smarter on the battlefield." Garrison echoed Kirby's remarks and stated that he would like as many leaders and members of the entire force as possible to regard diversity, equity, and inclusion activities as a force multiplier as possible. 

Garrison also intends to see the programme as a method to improve the United States military's ability to complete essential tasks and make soldiers more lethal. He stated that any programme's purpose should be to bring in more talented infantry troops or military intelligence analysts. When the military attracts people from all walks of life, there will be more imaginative thinking and answers to tremendously complex and difficult challenges, Garrison said. 

Defense Department's statement sparks outrage on social media

However, the US Defense Department's statement drew flak on social media as soon as it was shared on Twitter. Reacting to the Defense Department's controversial statement, a user wrote, "Our enemies are laughing at us. Prioritizing BS diversity initiatives over lethality and readiness is insane. But we should come to expect this from an organization that has presided over military disaster after disaster for the last 5 decades with little to no consequences (sic)."

"No, Unity, Merit, and Discipline are necessities in the U.S. Military (sic)," wrote another user. "Nah, the identity of the soldier doesn’t matter, all that matters is homogeneity when it comes to being as lethal as possible (sic)," expressed a third. 

(Image: AP)