For more than two years, cable news pundits and Republican lawmakers have accused the military of going ‘woke,’ a loosely defined term that refers to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts that Republican critics have claimed portray white people and the United States in a negative light. The term has been used to attack LGBTQ service members and to claim the military is becoming too feminine, unlike Russia.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on Tuesday that she is concerned about the drumbeat of criticism that the military has gone ‘woke’ becoming part of the 2024 presidential campaign.
“I think one of the things that we see that’s contributing to a decline in trust in the military is a concern on both sides of the aisle about politicization of our military leaders,” Wormuth told reporters during a media roundtable.