Braxton Taylor
The Army’s top enlisted leader has removed key guidance that required diversity to be considered when selecting individuals to serve in upper-level noncommissioned officer positions, according to a memo reviewed by Military.com.
Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, the top enlisted leader of the force, recently issued new guidance on selecting command sergeants major that was essentially copy-and-pasted from his predecessor — with one exception. It removes a line directing that a command sergeant major candidate’s diversity be considered.
The move comes after Republican lawmakers and political commentators have blasted the services throughout the Biden administration with accusations the military has prioritized progressive ideals while backbenching warfighting priorities. The critiques have often lacked specifics but have targeted long-standing efforts by the services to better accommodate a diverse all-volunteer force.
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Most of Weimer’s newly released guidance is unchanged and relatively pedestrian, such as a loose requirement for top enlisted leaders in airborne roles to be jump masters and physical fitness being a determining factor. The line of guidance that was cut read “consider diversity to ensure leaders represent our formations.”
Weimer’s office did not return a request for comment Monday.
The news also comes as the Army has been quietly scrubbing some of its other emphasis on diversity in the ranks. Earlier this year, the service delisted its advertising campaign titled “The Calling” on YouTube. The campaign featured individual ads of real soldiers from diverse backgrounds meant to appeal to shifting demographics.
One of those ads featured a female soldier who was raised by a lesbian couple in California. The ad immediately drew the scorn of key GOP lawmakers.
The Army’s relatively new senior leaders, Weimer and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, also replaced the service’s “People First” slogan — which had served as a policy north star for about four years. The mantra boiled down to the idea that taking care of individual soldier and family needs would have a snowball effect, creating an Army that’s better capable of warfighting, but also included a lot of emphasis on building a more diverse service as a means to better reflect the U.S. population and appeal to potential applicants.
That policy of “People First” led to more relaxed and welcoming grooming standards for women, a push on expanding mental health services, and a stronger parental leave policy compared to the other services.
“Leveraging the diversity of experiences, values and talents will ensure the Army maintains a competitive advantage in the war for talent,” Gen. James McConville, the previous Army chief of staff who has since retired, said in a 2020 memo to the force. “As the nation becomes increasingly more diverse, the Army must continue capitalizing on the ideals of inclusion, embracing the opportunity to innovate, focusing on excellence, and expanding capabilities. We must acquire, develop, employ and retain the best and brightest of America’s talent pool.”
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans included an amendment in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, the annual must-pass legislation that sets funding and policy priorities for the Pentagon, underscoring that all promotions are supposed to be merit-based, but it doesn’t outright forbid diversity being taken into account.
In the Army’s doctrine, diversity doesn’t immediately account for racial background — but instead often leans on different professional, economic or education backgrounds.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s Pentagon appointments have included the first Black secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin; the first Senate-confirmed woman to serve as deputy secretary of defense, Kathleen Hicks; and the first woman confirmed as Army secretary, Christine Wormuth.
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