Friday, June 21, 2024

The Military Was Combating Racism. Then Congress Stepped In.

OpEd: The U.S. military will continue to dwindle in size and diminish in quality if it does not fix its racism problem.

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Comments

More from the OpEd...

... 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 targeted him.

Congressional interference in the nonpartisan military promotions process has rippling consequences. Col. Jonsson's family life is in limbo between their current and future duty stations, without an anticipated move date -- medical care, education plans and the details of daily life remaining suspended.

Every level and rank is watching this drama unfold, wondering whether the military can function on the most basic level while partisan congressional members use the military as political pawns for their own agenda. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-06-19 03:47 PM

This is how you know Bo-ass is a ------- liar.

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-06-19 04:00 PM

Stupid article.

There is no racism in the military.

I know this is just troll bait.

There were no specifics mentioned. par for the course.

But you got to keep the race flames fanned, which is what progressives do, mention it where there is none, so it's assumed it's there.

It's not.

#3 | Posted by boaz at 2024-06-21 08:21 AM

#3 | Posted by boaz

Nah, there totally is. I know a retired Chief Master Sergeant that will take it up with you.

#4 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-06-21 09:26 AM

The South, still @sshurt over the Civil War loss, 160+ years on...
Still dreaming of a white owned militia coming to (voice gets dramatic),
"Save the Confederacy!"

You lost. Get over it. Move on already...

#5 | Posted by earthmuse at 2024-06-21 10:17 AM

"But you got to keep the race flames fanned, which is what progressives do, mention it where there is none, so it's assumed it's there.
It's not."

BOAZ supports the guy who ran full page ads demanding the death penalty for the Central Park Five; when they were totally exonerated did he apologize? Absolutely not! But it's us liberals who try to keep fanning the flames of racism?
BOAZ you are just pathetic. Some here question your honesty about your race; I don't. but I do think your support for Trump is sad; Trump is a racist; he hates black people and has demonstrated that fact many times. So, do yourself a favor. Get him to FINALLY apologize to the Central Park Five or never deny again that you support a racist; does that make you a racist too?

#6 | Posted by danni at 2024-06-21 10:39 AM

"Clayton Bigsby, the World's Only Black White Supremacist - Chappelle's Show"

www.youtube.com

#7 | Posted by danni at 2024-06-21 10:43 AM

Lol Danni!
funny stuff...

#8 | Posted by earthmuse at 2024-06-21 10:55 AM

Just to be clear, I do understand BOAZ"s defense of the military on racism. The military was the first to embrace integration and equal opportunity and as a successful officer he appreciates that and defends it as he should. I never ever wanted to ridicule or insult him for that. Po;itical differences aside I respect BOAZ.

#9 | Posted by danni at 2024-06-21 11:27 AM

Liberals too often confuse pandering with combating. Not to mention, there are several key things this lady says that are obvious exaggerations and probably falsehoods. Anyone who makes a claim about situations in which it requires context and evidence but doesn't offer any should not be listened to. Both parties themselves fight this every day with some of their more extreme members.

"BOAZ supports the guy who ran full page ads demanding the death penalty for the Central Park Five; when they were totally exonerated did he apologize? Absolutely not! But it's us liberals who try to keep fanning the flames of racism?"

Like when someone says they had their hands up but eye witnesses, who were even friends of the person, said he didn't. But nobody apologized for those riots to the people who were impacted negatively. This one was too easy, it's as if you actually believe that liberals never jump to conclusions only to be proven wrong.

Like when liberals talk all about women's rights and empowering women and then supporting a magazine who headlines hate against women that don't agree with their ideology.

And on and on and on.

See, you can be hypocritical all you want and ignore everything your side does that is just as bad as the side you hate but one thing you can't do is hide from the truth. Feel free to try to spread your hate and bias knowingly but all that does is make you a bad person, no one else (well, except for the people who do the same thing which is sadly too many in America...and I'm talking about both sides). For every instance of hate you can provide, one can be provided from the other party that is the same thing. Ignoring that only hurts America.

#10 | Posted by humtake at 2024-06-21 11:46 AM

The fact that Ben Jonsson is a Col is indicative of racial equality in the military. Now if Col Jonsson wants to introduce bad feelings in the black troops because of "disproportionate rate of Article 15s given to Black Airmen " that's going to be a problem. If they're getting art 15s, it's because of behavior, not race. I think col jonsson has been peter-principled to a position beyond his ability, so of course there is a holdup on making him a general. It's cushy retirement time for him and his race-baiting.

#11 | Posted by look_inward at 2024-06-21 12:03 PM

Excusing blacks' behavior because of their race isn't helping anyone, including them.
Don't act dumb, don't get written up. It's that simple.

#12 | Posted by look_inward at 2024-06-21 12:08 PM

www.airforcetimes.com

A white colonel agreed that when anyone joins the Air Force, they need to adopt the culture of the Air Force, that we should not make cultural accommodations.

'cultural accommodations'. I like the way he put that.
If your 'culture' precludes conformance to military disclipine standards, you are in the wrong place.

#13 | Posted by look_inward at 2024-06-21 12:13 PM

"There is no racism in the military."

There is probably some racist dude somewhere, but there certainly is no "structural racism."

That would be a difficuly argument to make when the SECDEF is a black guy. So is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. So is the head of United States Strategic Command, the organization that oversees all US nuclear operations.

#14 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-06-21 12:17 PM

"There is probably some racist dude somewhere, but there certainly is no "structural racism.""

A racist dude in the right place is how structural racism operates.

Like this:

"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 targeted him."

#15 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-06-21 12:30 PM

Are you saying that not promoting Col. Jonnson is a racist act?

#16 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-06-21 12:41 PM

Yea OK. Don't believe the hype. The military is just a microcosm of general society.

Enough said.

#17 | Posted by fresno500 at 2024-06-21 12:56 PM

#17

Except it's not.

General society rarely if ever goes to combat.

It's easy to find trivial reasons not to like someone if your pink ass is not hanging out there on the line.

#18 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-06-21 02:29 PM

Less than half of veterans ever set foot in a combat zone, let alone engage in actual combat.

#19 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-06-21 09:53 PM

There's a lot of veterans here, but I wouldn't be surprised if Boaz and Donnerboy are the only combat veterans.

#20 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-06-21 09:56 PM

------------------ blew up a hospital in Grenada.

#21 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2024-06-21 09:58 PM

"There is no racism in the military."

Well...not if you're the DEI beneficiary.

#22 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-06-21 10:03 PM

@#14 ... That would be a difficuly argument to make when the SECDEF is a black guy. So is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. So is the head of United States Strategic Command, the organization that oversees all US nuclear operations. ...

Currently, that is correct.

But on a more historical basis, yeah, the people your comment cites may be Black, but the question remains...

(or stated differently)

How successful have they been in reducing and eliminating racial bias in the Military?


#23 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-06-21 10:09 PM

Whites deflecting their documented racism, you also find in the military.

#24 | Posted by fresno500 at 2024-06-21 10:14 PM

"How successful have they been in reducing and eliminating racial bias in the Military?"

I suppose that depends on how you do your accounting. I can't speak as much for the enlisted ranks, but within the AF, promotion is pretty heavily dependent on career field. Especially for Major and up. If you're B-2 pilot, your odds of promotion to Lt Col are tangent to 100%. If you're a B-1 WSO, your chance of promotion to Lt Col is ~35%.

So, if you want to get promoted-if that's what you care about-go be a B-2 pilot.

2% of Navy SEALs are African American. I don't think that is because the SEALs are race-conscious.

#25 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-06-22 04:28 AM

"2% of Navy SEALs are African American. I don't think that is because the SEALs are race-conscious."

Then why?

It is because Blacks are just lazier, or dumber, or don't love their country as much?

#26 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-06-22 09:32 AM

"Yea OK. Don't believe the hype. The military is just a microcosm of general society."

No it is not. It is a social experiment. It is members come from various cultures combined into something very different from the cultures they came from.

It is a culture within the culture with its own rules and regulations called the UCMJ.

You are not protected by the constitution when you are in the military ( theoretically even tho you are there protecting that constitution).

And of course there is racism in the military. Because there is racism in society.

I would imagine the percentage is a lot lower and very disorganized (no official KKK meetings) but it is there. I experienced it myself though I did not participate.

It's been a while since I have been in and certainly things have changed. But they have also remained the same. Just less. More subtle. Just like in civil society.

#27 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-06-22 11:56 AM

That would be a difficuly argument to make when the SECDEF is a black guy. So is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. So is the head of United States Strategic Command, the organization that oversees all US nuclear operations. ...

The President of the United States was black.

That did not end racism in America or even make it more difficult.

In fact, I think it made it worse but better.

#28 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-06-22 12:00 PM

It made it worse NOT better.

lol

#29 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-06-22 12:00 PM

It gave us Trump.

#30 | Posted by WhoDaMan at 2024-06-22 01:12 PM

Remember Truman and Eisenhower, the last sane Republican president. We've crossed the Great Magnet and are being sucked back eventually into the 1920s.

#31 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2024-06-23 12:13 AM

"We've crossed the Great Magnet"

Are you positive?

#32 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-06-23 03:00 AM

"Are you positive?

Because ... that's a plus.

#33 | Posted by Danforth at 2024-06-23 03:02 AM

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