Democratic Veteran Behind Polarizing Diversity Policies, Announces Retirement From Pentagon

Cisneros leaves behind a legacy of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies that were implemented during his tenure.

The Pentagon praised Cisneros' record, highlighting the new policies developed under his watch to address sexual assault and suicide. These policies have been a subject of conservative criticism, including the DOD pandemic response, the acceptance of the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccine, and policies that make it easier for female servicemembers to access contraceptives and abortion.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin commended Cisneros' commitment to the Department's mission of taking care of its people. He stated, "During the two years Under Secretary Cisneros served in his role, he was a steadfast and faithful servant in the Department's mission to take care of our people. His commitment to the 'people first' approach helped the Department improve the quality of life of our Service members and their families."

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Cisneros' team in the Office of the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness (P&R) led initiatives that aimed to enhance "strategic readiness" across the DOD. These initiatives focused on better assessing the operational decision impacts on force readiness.

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One of the notable policies implemented under Cisneros' leadership is the Pentagon's abortion policy. This policy allows servicemembers to take extra leave time and seek reimbursements for expenses incurred if they have to travel out of their duty station state to legally access abortions. However, Cisneros' successor may face delays in confirmations due to Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville's hold in protest of this policy.

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Cisneros plans to step down in early September, and a successor has not yet been announced.

As head of the diversity and inclusion office, Cisneros has defended the Biden administration's reversal of the ban on transgender troops serving openly and advocated for LGBT inclusion, according to Military Times.

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In response to complaints from Congress members about the slow implementation of sexual assault and prevention reforms, Cisneros emphasized the importance of a methodical approach. He stated, "Getting this right requires we move as expeditiously as possible to implement change, while also ensuring we do not rush to failure. If we improperly rush now, we will not be able to pick up the pieces and establish trust with our service members again."

Despite increased attention to military quality of life issues, the military has struggled to meet recruitment targets. This leaves much for the future personnel chief to address, as reported by Military Times.