April 21, 2023
DIE Means the Death of Military Professionalism
By John Cauthen
Recent studies and reporting have highlighted the military's recruiting challenges for fiscal year 2022 with dire projections of future shortfalls in coming years. The reasons for recruiting deficits are many and complex, but one major factor is regressing civilian trust and confidence in the military. Since 2018, from record highs at the end of last century and into the post-9/11 era, positive civilian impressions of the military plummeted. This decreased trust is, in no small measure, due to bipartisan public perceptions of a politicized military from both the left and right.
A 2022 Ronald Reagan Institute survey noted that half of respondents attributed military politicization to a "woke" agenda. It is a sentiment certainly shared by some in civilian leadership and many current military members and veterans.
The Reagan Institute polling does not define "woke." Ipsos polling, however, suggests that the meaning of "woke" can be fluid. Although "woke" may have different definitions, for many, it is associated prominently with Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE).
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/04/die_means_the_death_of_military_professionalism.html
