Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III speaks with Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Jan. 27, 2021. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com.

Analysis – In their first days, President Biden and his new Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), Lloyd Austin, have clearly shown what they consider top priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense and its nearly three million military and civilian members – everything but actual military threats to the United States.

This obsessive focus on domestic, cultural, and other ‘woke’ issues, as China is bullying and threatening U.S. allies, Russia is hacking our infrastructure and government, and Iran is threatening to assassinate an ex-U.S. President, is disturbing many national security leaders.

As Military Times reports:

On his first day in office, Austin issued a message to the force that emphasized his commitment to finding ways the military can help the government move “further and faster” to fight the pandemic. Already there are more than 24,000 National Guard members providing logistical support for the vaccine program and giving as many as 50,000 shots per day.

Since former President Trump’s ‘Operation Warp Speed’ to develop and distribute COVID vaccines has a strong military component, as I noted here, this was expected, and it is a good use of National Guard resources. The problem is should it be the Pentagon’s very first priority?

More so is whether climate change should be a top Pentagon focus. As reported by Defense News, Secretary Austin stated that the Defense Department:

…will immediately take appropriate policy actions to prioritize climate change considerations in our activities and risk assessments, to mitigate this driver of insecurity.

The Times adds, “Austin also is pushing for policy adjustments to account for the effects of climate change on military missions, as well as the consequences of extreme weather events on domestic military bases.”

Within days of Biden being inaugurated and signing a slew of executive orders targeting the climate issue, the Pentagon announced it would be featuring the climate issue as part of its future National Defense Strategy.

Again, not totally unwelcome, but the top Defense Department priority?

Then there is the controversial reversal by Biden of Trump’s ban on ‘transgender’ members in the military. Biden’s Executive Order immediately prohibits any service member from being forced out of the military on the basis of ‘gender identity.’

While progressives argue this is a much-needed corrective, others question whether the Pentagon should be responsible for expensive and time consuming ‘gender reassignment treatments and operations’ for troops changing ‘identity’ after joining the service. They also question whether those members suffering from ‘gender dysphoria’ are the best suited psychologically to be in our combat forces.

On sex, in his first directive as SECDEF, Austin gave “his senior leaders two weeks to send him reports on sexual assault prevention programs in the military, and an assessment of what has worked and what hasn’t,” notes AP.

Defense and military leaders have grappled with these problems for years. Since including women in the armed forces, and their steady rise in numbers, sexual assault and related issues have plagued the services. AP notes that reports of sexual assaults have steadily risen since 2006, according to DOD reports, including a 13% jump in 2018 and a much smaller 3% rise in 2019.

Sexual assault and harassment in the military is a vexing and pressing issue that must be addressed, but should it be addressed as the very first directive of a new Secretary of Defense?

And finally, the most controversial top priority of the new Biden SECDEF – rooting out ‘extremism’ in the military ranks. At his confirmation hearing, Austin told senators that the Pentagon’s job is to “keep America safe from our enemies. But we can’t do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.”

Accusing its own soldiers as possible domestic ‘enemies’ is a highly charged and unprecedented accusation by a Secretary of Defense. Following up on his remarks, on February 3, the Pentagon announced it had issued a DOD-wide, 60-day ‘stand down’ to address the issue.

Again, making this a top priority now for the Pentagon is deeply concerning.

The concerns about this new aggressive push include serious questions, such as what constitutes ‘extremist’ activity? What is permissible in looking for extremists in the ranks? And how does this not become an ideological or partisan witch hunt to purge the military of members and views the current administration doesn’t like.

This last issue is a serious concern requiring much more discussion. Meanwhile, in Biden’s new ‘progressive’ Pentagon, facing the global military threats to the U.S. will have to come later.



Comments

      1. No, The CCP owns whoever is telling dementia Joe what to do and say. I do agree they would own him if he had any mental cognizance left.

    1. China will have no problems in taking up ARM TO OUR BE LOVED USA…. China wants to control the whole world, their FIRST FOCUS is our Beloved USA! Once, the USA is out of the way, the rest of the world will follow as taking candies from children! Biden is in love with CHINA…. They cherred HIS “WINNING” with the highest degree of celebration for the election result of a foreign country! Interesting?!

  1. So far we cut are fuel independence which cuts are military capability consedering all the fuel guzzling equipment we have. That should make China happy. His daddy has stop building the wall. Then stop forcing the DOD to take all those human trafficking classes along with all the other sex classes. Lets not forget about all the invading forces pouring across our southern boarder. Just another over paid executive valating his constitutional oath. Clean and green is to allow China to be strong and dirty across the world. Maybe our coal miners could export coal to China

  2. Ready and eager to protect America against patriots, and against no one else. Great. If this keeps up, America is done.

        1. None of the blacks living today were slaves. Nor, do they know any slaves. If they have grievances, blame the demonRats. That is the plantation they are on today.

  3. Climate Change? That means this dude never really got past Kindergarten with regards to intelligence but it definitely means his current wallet is empty.

  4. OMG! I’m so glad I’m out now if this is what our country has come to! I did 21 years in the Air Force and loved it. I was ready to die for our country. Now I am so embarrassed that the leadership has to be far LEFT and there isn’t room for conservatives in the military any longer. Conservatives are patriots. The Left just looks out for #1: themselves. There is no loyalty to the country, their service, or their unit. They’re all “professional career managers”. Very sad!!

  5. He’ll make the American military look like the Dutch Army in the 1970’s where soldiers found inventive ways to use their rifles as bonds.

  6. Take this rotten bastard out and shoot him already. He is completely worthless and a total threat to Americas security, economy, and our freedom

  7. Austin is an affirmative action clown. If he were white he would have been an E3 and his main job would be cleaning latrines. He’s where he is entirely based on his race. And he is one ugly black. Along with the affirmative action females they will tear the military apart. I have a used tooth brush that Austin can use to come clean my bathroom. Awful what they are doing.

  8. The military’s role is to be prepared, through strength, to fight an aggressive adversary against the USofA. The US military is not a social experiment club, it is not a arm of the FDA, it is not an arm of the LGBTQ community, and it is not an organization where liberal doctrine are tried. The US military exists to fight American’s violent adversaries. Period!!!

  9. “And finally, the most controversial top priority of the new Biden SECDEF – rooting out ‘extremism’ in the military ranks.”
    Translation: To the extent possible eliminate solders with a conservative viewpoint so the military will more readily accept orders to act as law enforcement within the US.

  10. I thought the posse comatada forbid using federal troops as police against it own citizens, then why should the government be able to intervene into the personal and political views of its members, it’s bad enough that you lose your first amendment rights when you become a member of the military now they are going to use it to as they say weedout those any person that disagrees with them just by word of mouth without any symbolism of true justice but by kangoroo justice dealt out by haters of the USA.

    1. This is exactly what all dictators, and their fallowing government, do to their military!
      If you don’t fall inline with the leadership, then you can become one of the controlled, or maybe just disappear!
      So ultimately the question, yet to be asked/demanded…..

      Do you want to be the part of the “Controlling” or part of the “Controlled” ???
      More simply put………Wolf or Sheep……take your pick?!?!

  11. Those imbeciles are sowing an ill wind. When the time comes, they won’t reap a whirlwind – ALL OF US will be reaping an off-the-scale Hurricane of THEIR creation.
    Get ready, good folks. It’s going to be a wild ride.

  12. As a Veteran, the military has no room for social gatherings. Take names and kick a$$ should be the only assignment, not what doctor removes what at government expense. Letting gays join now makes it only that you have to watch your front and your rear.

  13. YES, real new changes called ” DIS-INFORMATION OF DESTROYING THE MORAL ” AND CAUSING THE MILITARY TO BECOMING PANSIES ” IN LOOSING THERE FIGHTING SPIRIT! ” JUST WHAT WE DO NOT NEED!”

  14. My question is , we know all this, but what can we do to stop all this anti american activity by our national leaders are doing the opposite of what Amricans want. We hired them, not the other way around. We see the damage being done, when do we stop talking and do something about it. What can we do legally to sto an anti american president and Congress? Any ideas, anyone. It seems everyone is helpless to do anything because they feel they have no power to keep their rights and privileges as Americans.

  15. Some things never change and this “new” administration is living proof since after almost 50 years on the Government teat doing nothing positive , Hiding Beijing Biden continues on his merry path of destruction, executing (killing) as many of President Trumps accomplishments
    as he can out of sheer revenge and reckless appointing people into Government positions that are “Leftovers” from the failed obama Train Wreck

  16. This guy is a poster child for AFFIRMATIVE ACTION & the PETER PRINCIPLE. He will be a disaster for our armed forces and China, Iran, Russia, North Korea will eat his and Biden’s lunch. God help us

  17. This man is a disgrace. A gutter rat who will destroy our military with his socialist lies. A member of blm. Uneducated and unamerican who hates all white people and people who voted for President Trump. He belong in jail. He is using our military troops to help destroy free speech and free thinking. Time for Joe Biden to be impeach for acts against the constitution and America. A plantation slave to the biggest kkk member joe Biden.

    1. He won’t have to work hard to destroy the military. Their morale is so low now, they have to beg soldiers to reenlist, and they’ll keep those troops eligible for discharge with tenacity. Trying to regiment a bunch of young, eager and willing Americans to sacrifice their lives in some camel hole should be achieved with unit cohesion and esprit de corps. Instead, the military is becoming a petri dish for integrating competing factions of females, transgender people, blacks and Hispanics by force of UCMJ specified speech protocols, that do little more than place a big chip on the shoulders of minorities, who orchestrate situations that will bring regulations to bear upon non-minority violators: Even commanders. These poor kids won’t know what hit ’em if we start deploying them into true combat theaters.

  18. What a bunch of crap. They are attempting to get rid of soldiers that are not in line with their beliefs. They know that the majority of soldiers are Republicans. They want to replace or reprogram them. Good luck with that. First, if you weed out Republican soldiers, you will need to replace them with the Democrats. The only way to do this is with the Draft. You will be able to get the soldiers you want. Sounds like MASSIVE discrimination. You guys are the dumbest idiots I’ve ever seen!

  19. Next thing will be,,,no more saluting the flag when being raised or lowered. No more Star Spangled Banner.

  20. Makes me wonder, when will the politruks appear in each unit? (Politruk is the political officer, usually at company level, that many communist armies are afflicted with. Their job is to keep troops politically indoctrinated and to expose those that resist indoctrination.)

    I also expect to see in 5 to 10 years female officers and NCOs promoted over males to address the inequality of the armed forces. And just as it takes 10 to 15 years to train up a battalion commander, I expect them to be inexperienced and unqualified at that and higher levels. I also expect a draft of females as well as males when demoncrates get us into another war. Probably on our soil!

  21. Climate change an issue for the military? Why is the military having to deal with this joke of a program. Then again look who is in the White House!!

  22. We must remember that every move biden makes
    is political, and for the votes. The biden administration is being nothing more than a revenge pac against the real President Of The United States Donald J Trump.
    Trump showed this criminal organization that they don’t have what it takes to run a country.

  23. In keeping with his “Paid” useful idiot obligations Biden and his administrati oarefucesed on everythig aecept whaer China says “NO”

  24. Climate? One C-17 spews tons of carbon into the atmosphere during missions. Air Force One is also a potent polluter, and when those planes are deployed for Volant Silver missions (Presidential support) there are TWO of those babies launched from Andrews, along with C-5s (Helicopters) C-130s (Security and Sound System/Podiums.) C-141s (Limousines) and press planes. If they’re so vitally concerned about our climate, they should tell numb nuts to stay put, and conduct his functions with phone calls and emails.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *