Topic: The Military
“The NSC should rigorously review all general and flag officer promotions to prioritize the core roles and responsibilities of the military over social engineering and non-defense matters, including climate change, critical race theory, manufactured extremism, and other polarizing policies that weaken our armed forces and discourage our nation’s finest men and women from enlisting to serve in defense of our liberty.”
The term “social engineering” here refers to policies or initiatives aimed at changing societal behaviors or values within the military, such as those related to diversity, inclusion, or addressing systemic racism. “Non-defense matters” likely refers to issues like climate change, which Vought sees as unrelated to the military’s core mission. Vought is arguing that policies related to climate change, CRT, and similar issues are deterring potential recruits from joining the military.
In fact, studies show that MOST Americans would discourage a young person from enlisting in the military17 (unless as an officer), and the Military itself issued a statement counter to Vought’s assertion that politicization of the military is hindering recruitment efforts: “Military recruiting officials on Wednesday dismissed concerns that perceptions of an increasingly politicized military are undermining their pitches to young Americans, saying instead that unfamiliarity with military life poses a bigger barrier to efforts in boosting enlistments.” [Source]
In 2020, Vought ordered the Air Force to stop using training materials that mention race. [Source]19 Vought called diversity and unconscious bias training intended to create inclusive environments “un-American propaganda training sessions.” He is deeply, deeply racist.
Full contextual analysis of Section 1.2: Executive Office of the President of the United States here.
Share this quote from Project 2025:
“…the Department of Defense is a deeply troubled institution. It has emphasized leftist politics over military readiness, recruiting was the worst in 2022 that it has been in two generations, and the Biden Administration’s profoundly unserious equity agenda and vaccine mandates have taken a serious toll.”
According to the Army recruitment website, it’s not “leftist policies” that are the problem. “71% of youth do not qualify for military service because of obesity, drugs, physical and mental health problems, misconduct, and aptitude.” [Source]
Fact check: “While Republicans have pointed to the vaccine mandate creating a retention issue, the Defense Department says all of the military services had surpassed their retention goals for the first 10 months of the 2023 fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2022. The services have exceeded retention goals even as the military has faced challenges in recruiting new service members. [Source].
Full contextual analysis of Section 2: The Common Defense here. [Source].
“Moreover, our military has adopted a risk-averse culture – think of masked soldiers, sailors, and airmen – rather than instilling and rewarding courage in thought and action.”
Well, if that’s not about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. The writer is actually suggesting that attempting to protect oneself from disease, by wearing masks or getting vaccines, is cowardly. Contracting viruses to own the libs!
Full contextual analysis of Section 2: The Common Defense here.
“The good news is that most enlisted personnel, and most officers, especially below the rank of general or admiral, continue to be patriotic defenders of liberty.”
That’s more than a little insulting to generals and admirals.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2: The Common Defense here.
“The DOD is also a deeply troubled institution. Historically, the military has been one of America’s most trusted institutions, but years of sustained misuse, a two-tiered culture of accountability that shields senior officers and officials while exposing junior officers in the field, wasteful spending, wildly shifting security policies, exceedingly poor discipline in program execution, and (most recently) the Biden Administration’s profoundly unserious equity agenda and vaccine mandates have taken a serious toll.”
I touched on this a bit in the introduction to Section 2. In point of fact, the Biden administration stopped requiring COVID-19 vaccines for the military in January 2023.
What strikes me about this passage is its disdain for the military, and this coming from a former member of the armed forces and former (acting) Secretary of Defense. Evidence seems to suggest that he is a deeply disenfranchised former soldier. More about Christopher Miller here.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.
“Our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, our impossibly muddled China strategy, the growing involvement of senior military officers in the political arena, and deep confusion about the purpose of our military are clear signals of a disturbing decay and markers of a dangerous decline in our nation’s capabilities and will.”
It was Donald Trump and the Trump administration who orchestrated our “disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.” Read our bite-sized brief about that here.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.
“We also are witnessing a transformation in the character of war. The democratization of technology and the collapse of time and space require dramatic, thoughtful changes in how we defend, deter, and fight.”
This one is interesting to unpack (and I do, in the analysis.) Miller here is referring to the shift from traditional, large-scale conflicts to more hands-off and complex types of warfare, including cyber attacks, et al.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.
- Reestablish a culture of command accountability, nonpoliticization, and warfighting focus.
- Transform our armed forces for maximum effectiveness in an era of great-power competition.
- Provide necessary support to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) border protection operations. Border protection is a national security issue that requires sustained attention and effort by all elements of the executive branch.
- Demand financial transparency and accountability.
These are Miller’s four main priorities for the military as a whole going forward. You’re not crazy – that third one is federally sanctioning using the United States Military to patrol the border.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.
“Improve military recruiters’ access to secondary schools and require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)—the military entrance examination—by all students in schools that receive federal funding.”
This would effectively force all public school students to take the military entrance exam, and make it easier for recruiters to influence them.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.
“Exceptions for individuals who are already predisposed to require medical treatment (for example, HIV positive or suffering from gender dysphoria) should be removed, and those with gender dysphoria should be expelled from military service.”
Yikes. It’s interesting that he specifically sites HIV and gender dysphoria (gotta cover the homophobic and transphobic bases, I suppose.) “Requiring ongoing medical treatment” applies to people with cancer, lupus, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, pregnancy, and so much more. It’s also important to note that military leadership does not support removing transgender individuals from their ranks.
Full contextual analysis of Section 2.1: Department of Defense here.