Woke Diversity Training Helps Soldiers Feel ‘Included,’ Military Officials Say

According to top military officials, woke policies such as gender pronoun training help soldiers feel “included” rather than diminishing military readiness.

Republicans Accuse Biden Administration of Promoting Divisive Social Policies in Armed Forces

In an interview with Defense One, Air Force chief of staff Gen. C.Q. Brown stated, “When people join our military, they want to look around and see somebody who looks like them. They want to be part of a team [and] feel like they’re included.” Brown, along with Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger, dismissed concerns about woke policies in the military, praising the building of “cohesive” teams of service members, “no matter their background.” Berger added that he has seen “zero evidence” that such policies have reduced Marine focus.

These statements come as some House Republicans push to reduce Pentagon spending on diversity and inclusion training, including an Army program designed to train soldiers on using proper gender pronouns. One Navy video shows how to create a “safe space” and use pronouns. Some Republican members claim that the only military spending they support cutting is “wokeness.”

Despite the controversy, the military is struggling to hit recruitment numbers. Last year, the Army missed its goal by 15,000 people. Brown suggested that the Air Force can address these recruitment problems by showing younger generations the “tremendous opportunities” in a military career.