Military expert shoots down claim that ‘woke’ policies are to blame for low recruitment numbers – claiming ‘drug use, obesity or health concerns’ have shrunk the number of Americans qualified to serve

“Woke” policies are not the cause of America’s declining military recruitment numbers. The problem lies in the lifestyle of the average person, a military expert claimed.

Professor Peter Feaver of Duke University said increased drug use was more responsible than new diversity training requirements for a 25 percent shortfall in Army recruiting last year.

“Because of drug use, obesity or health issues, it’s just a smaller pool than it was two years ago,” Feaver says. ‘These are the big drivers.’

The military is in the midst of a five-year plan to become a “model example of diversity, equity and inclusion,” with the blessing of the White House.

But Republicans have insisted the Biden administration is “determined” to politicize the military, with Republican primary candidate Ron DeSantis making the issue a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.

“Because of drug use, obesity or health issues, it’s just a smaller pool than it was two years ago,” Feaver said

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, pictured with firefighters at today’s 9/11 memorial service in New York, has helped lead the Republican charge over ‘wokeness’ in the military

“We need to give the military immunity in the culture wars,” Feaver told Fox News, calling for identity politics to stay away from the military.

Politicians need to purge some of this partisan poison that is damaging the military at the margins,” he added.

“I think this will help recruiting,” Feaver said.

He also attacked Democrats’ concerns that the military is increasingly attracting far-right extremists.

“There is no good evidence that any of these conditions are pervasive in the military,” he added. “The specific issue of far-right extremism is quite limited in the military, very limited.

Last year, the Army fell 15,000 soldiers short of its 60,000-troop target and has achieved only 40 percent of this year’s target with three months to go.

A leaked internal Defense Department survey in June found that only 9 percent of young Americans who would be eligible to join the U.S. military have any willingness to apply.

Last year, the Army fell 15,000 soldiers short of its 60,000-troop target, and has achieved just 40 percent of this year’s target with three months to go

The drop in numbers has led many in the Republican Party to blame the Biden administration’s liberal policies for the falling numbers. That includes drag shows for troops and DEI training classes.

Feaver admitted that some officials may be “overdoing” diversity programs, but that this was only a small part of a soldier’s military training.

“It goes without saying that with such a large organization, people tend to fall on that side of the horse,” he added.

Republicans succeeded in restricting access to abortion for troops, funding for transgender medical care and DEI initiatives as the price for passing the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act this summer.

“I think the military I see is different than the military I’ve served in,” Florida Gov. DeSantis said.

“I’m seeing a lot of emphasis now on political ideologies, things like gender pronouns. I see a lot about things like DEI, and I think that’s why recruitment has gone down.”

Harvard professor Kit Parker claimed this week that his students are hiding their military status to avoid backlash from classmates and faculty members.

“It comes down to leadership. It comes down to the president,” the lieutenant colonel who served in Afghanistan added.

The Army is trying to improve its recruitment and preparation process for young soldiers as only 29 percent of youth are qualified to serve

Harvard professor Kit Parker (left) has said his students are ashamed to admit they have military connections, but Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson blamed the recruitment crisis on young Americans who were too fat or too criminal to support their country to defend.

In January, the military announced plans to expand three “fat camps” so hundreds of overweight or underqualified potential recruits can graduate before starting basic training.

Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, blamed the crisis on young Americans who were too fat or too criminal to defend their country.

“Some of the challenges we have are obesity, we have pre-existing medical conditions, we have behavioral health issues, we have crime, people with crimes and we have drug use,” he added.

A Pentagon report that month found that 26 percent of people in the service industry are unable to provide their households with enough food to “live active, healthy lives.”