DOD blasted for tweet touting 'diversity' and 'inclusion' as 'necessity' in the military

close

Video

Pentagon releases report on Kabul airport Abbey Gate bombing

National security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has the latest from the Pentagon on 'America Reports.'

The United States Department of Defense was blasted on social media after posting a tweet touting the need for "diversity" and "inclusion" in the military.

"NEWS: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Are Necessities in U.S. Military," the Department of Defense posted Wednesday along with an article outlining the many ways the military is pushing for diversity in its ranks and says that the "need for diversity, equity and inclusion to be a consideration or a part of all decisions in the military."

PENTAGON SAYS AFGHAN TERROR ATTACK THAT KILLED 13 US SERVICE MEMBERS WAS ‘NOT PREVENTABLE’

"I would hope that as many leaders and members of the total force as possible see [diversity, equity and inclusion] efforts as a force multiplier," Bishop Garrison, the senior advisor to the secretary of defense for human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion, said in the article, which added that the diversity program can be a "way to make the U.S. military more successful in achieving critical missions and in making forces more lethal."

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Oct. 27 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The tweet immediately drew criticism from conservatives on Twitter who slammed the military for focusing on "woke" politics.

"Does China have that in their military?" author Ryan Girdusky tweeted. 

PENTAGON SPOX JOHN KIRBY DISMISSES CONCERNS ABOUT 'WOKENESS' IN THE MILITARY: 'RIDICULOUS'
 

"Our enemies laugh at us," comedian Tim Young tweeted.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby takes a question from a reporter during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"You guys going to hand out copies of ‘White Fragility’ to the Russians?" the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire tweeted. "FYI, there are no safe spaces on the Eastern Front."

"We’re gonna lose a major war," conservative commentator Jesse Kelly tweeted. 

"If your military’s priorities are anything other than killing your nation’s enemies you are royally screwed," Blaze writer Sam Mangold-Lenett tweeted.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Last month, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby downplayed concerns about woke identity politics in the military. 

"It depends on what they are, but I think a lot of it, quite frankly, is driving a stake through a straw man, here," Kirby told Fox News’ Dana Perino. "This argument of ‘wokeness’ in the military. I was in the military for 30 years, and I can tell you, things like diversity and inclusion, that makes us a better military because it brings to the fore in the decisionmaking, operational decisionmaking that we conduct, better ideas, more unique perspectives, somebody else's lived experiences which might actually make us smarter on the battlefield."

FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo)

Kirby added, "So we know, those kinds of arguments, I think, are ridiculous because we are a stronger military because of our diversity and because we represent all Americans, just like we defend all Americans."

In a statement to Fox News, Kirby told Fox News that he is "proud of our efforts to become a more diverse force."

"Last week, that same force took down the leader of ISIS, helped shore up NATO’s eastern flank and continued to take the pressure off hospital staff throughout the country, just to name a few critical missions," Kirby said.