proof? Consistently missed recruitment goals, low readiness ratings, accelerating attrition, skyrocketing program costs, morale in the ditch, and I could go on.
Apart from the hard facts and numbers showing the negative impacts of the leftist DEI and CRT policies, there are several common sense reasons to kill woke policies in national security. DEI does nothing to improve the ability of our warfighters. The strongest military is meritocracy, not quota-driven. Women are weaker than men. They can serve, but not as front-line combatants. They cannot carry as much, run as fast or as far, and are often too short to serve basic functions. Pilots, drivers, rear echelon, they can mostly do; but even as pilots and drivers they may meet biological shortfalls if separated from their vehicles. DEI and CRT teaches that white people are evil, America is evil, and instructs division and suspicion. That is also counter to all basic military principles of love of country, devotion to your fellow servicemember, unity, and inherent trust. Finally, CRT was introduced into leftist circles by the USSR. When the cold war was in full swing and communism seemed to be receding, no one paid it much mind. However, with communists like Warren, Sanders, Obama, Van Jones and others in key government positions and communist professors receiving tenure in higher education, CRT has been mainstreamed and has become an existential threat to American exceptionalism.
Hegseth was correct when he said that partisan politics has no place in military matters and that achievement by the military should be based on equal standards and expectations, not equitable.