Navy more focused on diversity than China: report

A new report claims that members of the Navy are more focused on diversity training than on preparing to take on adversaries such as China.

At least one current officer and one recently departed sailor anonymously shared their concerns with investigators commissioned by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.).

“Sometimes I think we care more about whether we have enough diversity officers than if we’ll survive a fight with the Chinese navy,” said an active-duty Navy lieutenant.

“It’s criminal. They think my only value is as a black woman,” the lieutenant added. “But you cut our ship open with a missile and we’ll all bleed the same color.”

A recently retired “senior enlisted leader” told the investigators that “I guarantee you every unit in the Navy is up to speed on their diversity training. I’m sorry that I can’t say the same of their ship handling training.”

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle Jr.
US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle Jr. retired in 2016.
HQMC Combat Camera

The Navy employs more than 300,000 people and it’s unclear if the views expressed in the 23-page report are representative of the force. Spokespeople for the Navy did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Cotton’s office published the report amid a national struggle over discussions about race in public institutions — with conservatives pushing back on what they say is an overemphasis on the legacy of discrimination and a focus on “diversity” of immutable characteristics such as race and gender.

Critics in particular have ridiculed US spy agencies and the military for pushing what they call a “woke” worldview and concepts rooted in Critical Race Theory, which describes race as the dominant factor in US history and current life.

Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department boats combat a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard on July 12, 2020.
Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department boats combat a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard on July 12, 2020.
EPA

Last month, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, was roasted by Republicans for passionately linking “white rage” to the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol while he testified to a congressional committee.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in February ordered a “stand down” of the entire US military for commanders to address “extremism” in its ranks. During his confirmation hearings, Austin vowed to “rid our ranks of racists and extremists.”

Sen. Cotton and Rep. Crenshaw launched a whistleblower campaign in May for active military members to report critical race theory in “diversity training” programs.

Rear Admiral Mark C. Montgomery
Rear Admiral Mark C. Montgomery retired in 2017.
Alamy Stock Photo

Cotton tweeted in June that his tip line has received over 300 tips and that, “The problem is real — and worse than we thought.”

“We’ve received hundreds of whistleblower complaints about critical race theory being pushed on our soldiers,” the Arkansas senator wrote. “The problem is real — and worse than we thought.”

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