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The U.S. military will continue to dwindle in size and diminish in quality if it does not fix its racism problem.
My husband has served nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps, and our family would gladly dedicate another decade of service if not for the racism I, his Asian-American wife, and his mixed-race children experience in the current military and political climate.
My spouse is highly skilled and experienced. He has 2,000 flight hours, top-level clearances and qualifications. He has mentored, instructed and led hundreds of others. He loves military service, yet he and others like him are leaving due to Congress’ meddling. After decades of progress toward building a more equal nation and a military reflective of these American values, we see those gains evaporating.
Policymakers have come to use increasingly politicized antics to enforce an anti-pluralism agenda. For example, Republican senators continue to hold Air Force Col. Ben Jonsson’s promotion hostage — mirroring Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s months-long military promotion blockade. Col. Jonsson simply encouraged his fellow officers to learn about modern-day racism — knowledge that would strengthen leadership skills, and U.S. senators…
