I Don't Actually Want to Write About DEIA, but the Standards Have Been Lowered to Hell

I too have "dust on my boots", as well as senior executive Pentagon experience, and this post is definitely not about anyone in particular.

We are potentially two years from war with China and this is what you’re thinking about? Methinks he doth protest too much.

In my fifteen year career in national security, I have legions of stories about unqualified and insecure men making bad choices that threatened the security of an operation (and indeed, national security). I actually don’t want to be fighting barriers. I just want to do my job.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is the cornerstone of our national security. It is the largest federal agency, employs more than 4 million people, and impacts nearly every community and congressional district. Every one of those 4 million people have families, including military spouses, dependent children, etc.

It is a massive bureaucracy, and I learned when I worked there that the processes exist for a reason. Strategically, operationally, and tactically, the Department of Defense relies on expertise, cohesion, and a commitment to excellence to support and defend the constitution, protecting and serving the nation. Yet, recent policy changes and appointments have raised urgent concerns about whether this essential institution is being hollowed out by a prioritization of ideology over competence.

Why are some folks so obsessed with DEIA and insisting on “meritocracy” when we already have one?

(1) To get away with putting unqualified hires in place.

(2) Because they certain individuals will fill the airspace to talk about DEIA because they are completely incapable of talking intelligently about anything else.

To quote Senator Mitch McConnell, “By all accounts, brave young men and women join the military with the understanding that it is a meritocracy. This precious trust endures only as long as lawful civilian leadership upholds what must be a firewall between servicemembers and politics. The Biden Administration failed at this fundamental task. But the restoration of ‘warrior culture’ will not come from trading one set of culture warriors for another.”

I disagree with his statement about the Biden Administration, but I wouldn’t expect praise from him. McConnell was spot on in his comments about the complex security situation faced by the United States and his concern that the inbound leadership could not meet this moment.

I actually don’t want to be here writing about DEIA. I’ve been a national security professional my whole career, and with that experience, I’m deeply concerned the Department is about to be hollowed out, and all that will be left are yes-men, pick-me women, mediocre leave-behinds, and that competent people will leave in such significant droves that we will be unable to face looming war in 2027, one that becomes more likely when we have incompetent leaders. I write about DEIA, because I worry about threats, lethality, and strategic advantage, and our heterogenous country is a massive strategic advantage. Distrust and incompetence are critical vulnerabilities.