In reaction to the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan for 2023, Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL 1st District) has decided to send over a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force expressing some serious concerns. This incident comes in the midst of a national debate over the role of DEIA initiatives within the military.
The outspoken lawmaker is questioning the agency’s priorities, arguing that their focus on diversity initiatives detracts from their core mission—national security.
In his letter to the Secretary of the Air Force, obtained by The Gateway Pundit, Gaetz states that these DEIA initiatives have caused alarm among his constituents in Northwest Florida because they believe such priorities reflect a degradation of DAF’s commitment to national security.
He believes that what was once an emphasis on recruiting and retaining “the best talent” has become an overemphasis on diversity goals as set out in policy memos which fail to mention or prioritize national security.
Matt Gaetz Sends Warning to Air Force Over Woke DEIA Strategic Plan, Demands Immediate Action
Drawing a stark contrast, Rep. Gaetz notes that under former President Donald Trump’s 2020-2021 recruitment policies, the DAF was on point in meeting its staffing and recruitment goals.…
— TheTexasOne (@TexasRepublic71) October 24, 2023
Drawing stark contrasts between former President Donald Trump’s 2020-2021 recruitment policies and those under President Joe Biden’s regime, Gaetz notes that while Trump was successful in meeting staffing and recruitment goals – last year saw all branches miss their targets due to misplacement of priorities.
According to Gaetz this is symptomatic of deeper issues relating to an overemphasis on DEI initiatives which send “command signals” to recruit based on superficial characteristics like race or gender instead merit-based requirements essential for preserving national security.
Gaetz contends that this 18 page document with 5500 words mentions “combat” once, “national security” zero times, and “merit” or “merit-based also zero times, reflective of where DAF’s priorities lie currently according to him. He requests elimination of this working group as he believes it contributes towards politicization eroding public sentiment towards military as institution, calling for reorientation towards confronting adversaries like China/Russia instead.
