{"id":1726975,"date":"2022-11-05T06:30:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-05T10:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1726975"},"modified":"2022-11-07T00:37:25","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T05:37:25","slug":"mike-berry-the-simple-solution-to-our-militarys-recruiting-crisis-is-the-rejection-of-woke-ideology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-berry-the-simple-solution-to-our-militarys-recruiting-crisis-is-the-rejection-of-woke-ideology\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Berry: The Simple Solution to Our Military\u2019s Recruiting Crisis Is The Rejection of Woke Ideology"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmike-berry-the-simple-solution-to-our-militarys-recruiting-crisis-is-the-rejection-of-woke-ideology%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1726975&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cf4772af-9d6f-4e0f-812c-a18ab6c5803b.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>This column is co-authored by t<em id=\"isPasted\">he Honorable Robert Wilkie and Mike Berry.\u00a0<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/milmed\/article-pdf\/161\/2\/67\/24266927\/milmed-161-2-67.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">longstanding doctrine<\/a>, a military unit is considered \u201ccombat ineffective\u201d when it loses roughly 30% of its end strength. \u00a0 Following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-pentagons-recruitment-woes-army-military-navy-air-force-u-s-defense-11665664019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent reports<\/a> that the Pentagon missed its recruiting goals\u2014in the Army\u2019s case, by as much as 25%\u2014America\u2019s military is teetering on the brink of being combat ineffective. \u00a0Put simply, our armed forces are now at risk of being unable to defend the nation if called upon. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">These are America\u2019s worst recruiting numbers since President Nixon and General Creighton Abrams conceived the all-volunteer force in 1973. \u00a0And the Biden Administration\u2019s contention that recruiting numbers are down because of a strong economy is nonsense\u2014recruiting soared during the Reagan and Bush years when the economy boomed.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The bottom line is that parents\u2014even those who are themselves veterans\u2014are no longer sending their children to the military in the aftermath of Biden\u2019s Afghanistan disaster and his failed social policies. \u00a0They refuse to support a President and a Pentagon who insist on dividing the ranks by force-feeding grievance politics to those in uniform.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The issue is quickly becoming a national security dilemma. \u00a0But the crisis we presently face is not the result of an attack by a foreign adversary. \u00a0No, our wounds are self-inflicted, and worse, they are entirely avoidable. \u00a0Our military bought in to the same \u201cwoke\u201d ideology that now plagues America\u2019s college campuses.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Lawmakers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/07\/27\/lawmakers-pentagon-military-recruiting-00048286\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continue to press<\/a> Pentagon officials to explain our military\u2019s recruiting woes. \u00a0The Pentagon, of course, does little more than to obfuscate and prevaricate. \u00a0Perhaps our generals and admirals don\u2019t actually know why young Americans are less interested in military service than in previous years. \u00a0Or perhaps they know precisely why, but they are unwilling to confront the uncomfortable truth that they have led what was once one of America\u2019s most admired and revered institutions astray. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The military no longer presents an attractive option for young people. \u00a0An eighteen-year-old today was born in 2004. \u00a0They were not alive to witness the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the incredible sense of duty, honor, and patriotism that those attacks birthed. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Instead, today\u2019s youths are bombarded by the damaging and derogatory rhetoric the Department of Defense (DoD) itself espouses regarding our nation and its history. \u00a0In <a href=\"http:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/AS\/AS00\/20210324\/111411\/HHRG-117-AS00-Wstate-BerryM-20210324.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one example<\/a>, official DoD training materials teach that \u201cthe colonists who sought to free themselves from British rule\u201d is an example of extremist ideology. \u00a0Most recently, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/pentagon-equity-chief-praises-book-calling-911-first-responders-menaces-pushes-revolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">self-described \u201cwoke\u201d Pentagon equity chief<\/a> praised a book that referred to September 11 first responders as \u201cmenaces of nature\u201d and that \u201cthey were not human.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Instead of learning that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, our children are being indoctrinated with anti-American propaganda from K-12. \u00a0Is it any surprise then that a high school graduate would reject serving and defending a nation and a military they\u2019ve been taught is flawed, racist, and evil? \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Indeed, a <a href=\"https:\/\/poll.qu.edu\/images\/polling\/us\/us03072022_ujca44.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent poll<\/a> revealed the shocking fact that a majority of self-identified Democrats would refuse to defend America and would retreat if invaded. \u00a0In less than a generation, we\u2019ve gone from Americans locking arms and fighting evil together, to Americans abandoning ship and fleeing in fear. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The good news is that we can heal those wounds by restoring unity and pride in our nation and its ideals.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">If our nation\u2019s leaders would simply acknowledge that the Pentagon\u2019s full-throated embrace of \u201cwokeism\u201d is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2022\/10\/13\/is-the-military-too-woke-to-recruit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major cause<\/a> of our recruiting and retention crisis, we can then begin to identify and implement solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The most immediate and obvious solution, of course, is to stop the bleeding and reject the woke ideology that only serves to weaken our military. \u00a0In its place, the Pentagon should initiate and implement a campaign of recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the very things that have historically driven young Americans to join the military. \u00a0Americans have shown throughout history that we are willing to fight, and even die, for something we believe is worth defending. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">We must likewise reject the false, misguided trope that America was founded by evil white men. \u00a0The truth is that America was founded by persecuted peoples who sought a place where religious freedom can flourish. \u00a0To that end, the pro-America think tank, America First Policy Institute (AFPI), created the <a href=\"https:\/\/americafirstpolicy.com\/priorities\/center-for-1776\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for 1776<\/a>, whose vision is to \u201cdisseminate the truth about the American founding into our Nation\u2019s schools and homes to restore national unity and pride through a renewed understanding of our founding.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">At the risk of over-simplifying, more \u201cTop Gun: Maverick,\u201d less <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/opinion\/articles\/2021-06-29\/general-milley-s-evasion-on-critical-race-theory?leadSource=uverify%20wall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">critical race theory<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Another practical step is for the Pentagon to recognize its core target audience for recruiting. \u00a0According to at least one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3442261\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a>, Americans who identify as \u201chighly religious\u201d are significantly more likely to join the military than their \u201cnon-religious\u201d counterparts. \u00a0Given that reality, one would think the Pentagon brass would ensure the military is a faith-friendly environment. \u00a0Instead, we find just the opposite as incidents of religious hostility within the military are now commonplace. \u00a0In fact, multiple federal courts have ruled that the military is violating service members\u2019 religious freedom in how it has implemented the much-maligned Covid-19 vaccine mandate. \u00a0Worse, many believe the vaccine mandate is actually part of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/retired-3-star-coast-guard-vice-admiral-calls-out-biden-administration-misguided-military-vax-mandate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ideological purge<\/a> to rid the armed forces of religiously-motivated troops. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">That is why First Liberty Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/firstliberty.org\/navyseals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued the Navy<\/a> and AFPI <a href=\"https:\/\/americafirstpolicy.com\/latest\/afpi-files-largest-religious-liberty-vaccine-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sued the Air Force<\/a> in challenging the unlawful and unconstitutional Covid 19 vaccine mandate.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The United States military stands at a perilous crossroads, and it must decide what matters more: pleasing the woke commissars or defending this nation and its people. \u00a0It is now evident that we cannot do both. \u00a0In the words of former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/pompeo-blasts-biden-pentagon-equity-officer-want-make-green-energy-racism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo<\/a>, the military \u201cis just another institution that [the Biden Administration] has every intention of tearing down.\u201d \u00a0 For this reason, we must put an end to the woke ideology and revitalize the patriotism and commitment to service that have been, and always will be, the vital cornerstones of our armed services. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>The Honorable Robert Wilkie served as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. \u00a0He is a Distinguished Fellow at <a href=\"https:\/\/americafirstpolicy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">America First Policy Institute<\/a>\u2019s Center for American Security.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>Mike Berry is Vice President of External Affairs and Director of Military Affairs at <a href=\"http:\/\/firstliberty.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Liberty Institute<\/a>, and is a former active-duty U.S. Marine Corps officer.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This column is co-authored by the Honorable Robert Wilkie and Mike Berry.\u00a0According to longstanding doctrine, a military unit is considered \u201ccombat ineffective\u201d when it loses roughly 30% of its end<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1726978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1726975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1726975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1726978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1726975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1726975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1726975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}