Is DEI a Roadblock to Military Recruitment?

While Mike Gallagher makes several fine points about military recruitment in his Feb. 25 op-ed “Bring Warriors Back to the U.S. Military,” several other assertions are off the mark.

Take the claim that diversity, equity and inclusion has overtaken the military. It isn’t so severe. Mandatory DEI training has occupied roughly one hour per year of my time over the past four years on active duty. That hardly constitutes an institutional takeover. Likewise, concerns about merit in promotions are misplaced: Policies governing promotion boards have remained consistent with a focus on performance and leadership potential.