Chapter 4, Part 4: The Department of Defense
Day 14 of reading and sharing my notes on Project 2025 (the long title is Mandate for Leadership 2024: The Conservative Promise, in case you're searching for it).
Here's my approach and why I’m doing this.
We're still in Chapter 4: Department of Defense by Christopher Miller. I covered his bio earlier. This section is DOD Personnel.
SUMMARY
Miller says young people are being discouraged from military service by "educators and influencers." He says the Biden Administration doesn't honor the military enough.
MY OPINION
This seems disingenuous given that Biden often talks about the sacrifice of the military, in particular his son. But perhaps he's talking about policy. I'll continue.
SUMMARY
He outlines the following reforms: 1) "Rescue recruiting and retention"; 2) "Restore standards of lethality and excellence"; 3) "Eliminate politicization, reestablish trust and accountability, and restore faith to the force"; 4) "Value the military family"; 5) "Reduce the number of generals."
Under each of these points, he lists specific steps. I won't go over them all because you can read it for yourself, but I'll highlight anything that seems out of the ordinary or especially important.
Under 1) above, he says recruiting is the worst it's been in two generations. "Some of the problems are self-inflicted and ongoing."
He suggests suspending the use of a system that uses "private medical records of potential recruits ..., creating unnecessary delays and unwarranted rejections."
MY OPINION
This is interesting. I'm not sure what it's about, but considering earlier discussion of vaccines, I'm guessing it's about not letting people join if they're unvaccinated.
SUMMARY
Miller suggests giving recruiters greater access to high schools and:
**-"require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)--the military entrance examination-- by all students in schools that receive federal funding."
MY OPINION
Under no circumstances should students be required to take the ASVAB.
SUMMARY
**-"Encourage Members of Congress to provide time to military recruiters during each townhall session in their congressional districts."
MY OPINION
When I go to a town hall, I don't want to listen to a pitch from the military. Not to mention, many of the town halls are at schools, and students are often required to go as part of government classes. They shouldn't be forced to listen to military recruiters.
SUMMARY
**-Point 2 above says "those with gender dysphoria should be expelled from military service" and "Physical fitness requirements should be based on the occupational field without consideration of gender, race, ethnicity, or orientation."
MY OPINION
How do they know if someone has gender dysphoria? They're really saying they don't want trans people in the military. (I kept reading. Miller says it outright later.)
SUMMARY
Under Point 3, Miller says trust and confidence in the military is down.
His first solution is to let Chaplains "carry out their ministry according to the tenets of their faith."
MY OPINION
Is he trying to say chaplains don't have to be nondenominational? And what does that have to do with restoring trust in the military?
SUMMARY
The vaccine discussion gets specific here. He wants to reinstate members who were discharged for refusing to get the COVID vaccine, restore their rank, and give them back pay.
And another attack on DEI programs: "Eliminate Marxist indoctrination and divisive critical race theory programs and abolish newly established diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and staff." He also wants to eliminate tenure for professors in military academies and "apply the same rules to instructors that are applied to other DOD contracting personnel."
MY OPINION
Not an opinion, exactly, but any recent service members know of any Marxist indoctrination in the military?
And I'm not sure how treating instructors like contractors would work.
SUMMARY
**- "Restrict the use of social media solely for purposes of recruitment and discipline any armed services personnel who use an official command channel to engage with civilian critics on social media."
**-Miller says transgender people should not be allowed to serve in the military, that the military should pay for transgender surgeries or abortions.
Regarding 4) above, Miller suggests raising military families' wages. "No uniformed personnel should ever have to rely on social benefits like as food stamps (sic) or public housing assistance." He argues for improving housing and considering the family when considering moves; improving spouse employment opportunities; expanding childcare; and having education savings accounts.
MY OPINION
I agree with all of this. I don't think anyone working full-time should have to rely on public benefits, and I think expanding childcare is good for everyone. In fact, he sounds like a Democrat right now. Except this is only for military families.
SUMMARY
**-"Audit all curricula and health policies in DOD schools for military families, remove all inappropriate materials, and reverse inappropriate policies."
MY OPINION
Who gets to decide what's inappropriate? And what curricula gets used?
SUMMARY
Under the final point, he says, "The next President should limit the continued advancement of many of the existing cadre, many of whom have been advanced by prior Administration for reasons other than their warfighting prowess."
I'll stop there because the dishes need doing. Next up, DOD Intelligence. Still in this chapter. It's a long one.