Hegseth: ‘Diversity is our strength’ is dumbest phrase in military history
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called ‘diversity is our strength’ the dumbest phrase in military history.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has eliminated nearly 200 jobs related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the last year, killing the Biden-administration’s effort aimed at providing “everyone an opportunity to reach their full potential,” according to report released by the Government Accountability Office.
In 2024, there had been 188 Pentagon staff members, military and civilian, with DEI duties, the GAO found. Cuts began last year under a congressional mandate with the Defense Department eliminating 32 DEI positions and restructuring jobs for 115 others.
The Pentagon’s moves, coupled with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s purge of generals and admirals who had advocated diversity efforts, represent an about face for the military on the promotion of diversity that had been rekindled after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
More than 30% of the military’s more than 1 million active-duty troops identifies with a minority group.
In January, President Donald Trump rescinded the Biden order on DEI and directed that the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security eliminate such programs, according to the GAO.
“This included any vestiges of DEI offices, such as suboffices, programs, elements, or initiatives,” the GAO report said.
Hegseth followed that order with a task force at the Pentagon charged with abolishing DEI offices.
The task force “reported that the military services, the Joint Staff, and the other DOD components conducted evaluations and certified that there is no use of gender, race, or ethnicity-based goals for organizational composition, academic admissions, or career fields,” the GAO reported.
Hegseth has made plain his antipathy for DEI, telling a Pentagon town hall in February: “I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘Our diversity is our strength.’”
Racial discrimination continues to be an issue in the ranks. A USA TODAY investigation has found that National Guard units across the country have had documented cases of bias.
Hegseth fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, a decorated fighter pilot with decades of experience, who also had spoken openly about the challenges he had faced as a black officer. On the same day, Hegseth also fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy.
In all, he has fired or forced to resign about 10 generals and admirals with little explanation, drawing the ire of Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee who blamed his Republican colleagues for failing to push back.