Debate Desk
Does the Military Need DEI Programs to Be Effective at Its Mission?
The armed forces recruit best by holding all to equal standards and rewarding merit; ideological programs distract from readiness.
The claim
Supporters say that the military must reflect the country it defends, that diverse units perform better and that training on bias and inclusion helps retain talent and build cohesion.
The answer in three points
- A military succeeds by winning wars, and the way to build a force that does is to hold all members to the same standards, reward performance and treat every service member with respect. The armed services desegregated in 1948 on the principle that a soldier is judged by his conduct. That principle is the best form of inclusion.
- Recruitment problems have causes that have little to do with diversity training, such as the share of young Americans who qualify and the willingness to serve. Time spent on programs that do not improve readiness is time not spent on training, and some programs divide units by group.
- Opportunity should be open to all Americans, and the services should reach every community with recruiting, mentoring and the chance for any qualified person to rise. That can be done without political litmus tests or preferences by race or sex.
A service member does not need a seminar to know that the person beside him in a fight is a comrade. Equal standards, fair treatment and consequences for misconduct build that trust. The services should recruit from every community and then judge everyone by the same standard.
The numbers
- President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 in July 1948, directing equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces, according to the National Archives.
- The Department of Defense reported recruiting shortfalls in several services in 2022 and 2023, according to its statements to Congress.
- The Supreme Court held in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) that race-based admissions in civilian universities violate equal protection, and the service academies later changed their policies.
What they will say next
"Diverse leadership improves decisions." Varied experience can help, and the way to get it is by opening opportunity. Selecting people by category is different from selecting by merit.
"These programs build trust." Respect among service members is built by shared hardship and the same standards, and the military has a long record of doing it.
"Eliminating them signals hostility." A policy of equal treatment and zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination is the opposite of hostility.
"The services need talent from everywhere." They do. Outreach and fair standards are how they get it.
The test of any program is whether it makes the force more ready to fight and win.
"Studies show diverse teams perform better." The studies are mixed and depend on the kind of diversity and the task. In the armed forces the relevant research concerns cohesion, training and shared standards, and the long experience since 1948 shows that integration works when standards are equal.