Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor and former member of the National Security Council, argued that concerns over "woke" policies have been blown out of proportion by politicians and critics.
He stated that the main drivers of the recruiting crisis are factors such as the current labor market and the shrinking pool of qualified young Americans. Feaver emphasized that issues like drug use, obesity, and health concerns have significantly reduced the number of eligible recruits.
Feaver recently published a book titled "Thanks For Your Service," which delves into the declining public confidence in the military. He believes that the politicization of the military by both political parties lies at the heart of this issue. Feaver referred to a Gallup poll released in July, which indicated that public confidence in the military stands at 60%.
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While this number is relatively high compared to other U.S. institutions, it represents a concerning trend for the military. The poll revealed that public confidence in the military has not been this low since 1997 and has not fallen below 60% since 1988. During the 1980s, public confidence fluctuated between 50% and 63%, a period marked by challenging foreign policy circumstances such as the Cold War and the Iran hostage crisis.
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The decline in public confidence has been particularly pronounced among independents, with only 55% expressing confidence in the military in Gallup's most recent polling. This figure has dropped from 73% in 2019. Feaver argued that this decline in public confidence could have a marginal impact on recruiting efforts.
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Feaver attributed much of the blame for declining public confidence to politics, including claims that the military has become "woke." This viewpoint aligns with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's stance.
Wormuth stated earlier this year that critics of the military are damaging its image and contributing to its recruiting challenges. She expressed concern about the perception that the military has become "woke," describing it as counterproductive to recruiting efforts.
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Military leaders have faced significant criticism regarding the introduction of so-called "woke" policies from political figures such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
DeSantis, a Navy veteran and potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, pointed to the Pentagon's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs as a cause for the decline in recruiting. Pompeo, in an op-ed for Fox News, argued that a "woke" military is a weak military and criticized the Biden administration for pushing DEI policies into military institutions.
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Robert Greenway, a senior advisor to the Vice President at the Heritage Foundation, echoed these concerns, stating that the military has taken a divisive approach in recent years. Greenway cited training in Critical Race Theory and "gender ideology" as examples of pervasive woke programs that divert time and resources from enhancing military capabilities. He argued that there is little evidence to support the usefulness of diversity, equity, and inclusion training or claims of widespread racism and extremism in the military.
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Feaver acknowledged that some left-leaning talking points may find their way into military training but emphasized that only a small percentage of training time is dedicated to such programs. He also highlighted that attacks on military credibility are not exclusive to Republicans, as many Democrats have raised concerns about the presence of right-wing extremists in the ranks. Feaver argued that there is little evidence to support claims of a pervasive "woke" problem or an extremist problem within the military.
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Feaver stressed the importance of being cautious with rhetoric about the armed forces, urging politicians and the public to give the military non-combatant immunity in the culture wars. He believes that both Republicans and Democrats can reform how they speak about the military to reduce the partisan poison that is harming the military's reputation.
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Feaver suggested that this shift in rhetoric could potentially improve recruitment efforts. However, he acknowledged that the primary driver of the recruiting crisis is the difficulty of persuading young people to join the military and make sacrifices when they can obtain similar job opportunities and benefits in the civilian world. Feaver concluded that politicizing the military only exacerbates these challenges.
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