Personnel shortages in the U. S. Coast Guard and Navy are leading to ship decommissioning amid rising global threats. Poorly implemented DEI initiatives have negatively impacted recruitment, necessitating a shift to unit cohesion and merit-based evaluations.
Both the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy recently announced that a shortage of personnel will lead to the decommissioning of certain ships. This is particularly troubling given the rising global threats from regions like China and the Middle East, making the timing especially problematic.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that it largely stems from poorly designed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
While direct evidence linking DEI to recruitment declines is limited, whistleblower reports and survey data point to a concerning connection. DEI was introduced across the government in 2011 through an executive order, but recruitment numbers started dropping after the military embraced DEI following the Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 elections. The branches that most aggressively implemented DEI initiatives saw the steepest declines in recruitment. In contrast, the Marine Corps, which did not push DEI as hard, has not faced such drastic drops in recruitment.
The impact is significant. Since 2020, the Coast Guard, dealing with a 10% crew shortage, took the unprecedented step of sidelining 10 cutters and shutting down 29 boat stations last year. The Navy missed its recruitment target by 7,000 and has lost 21,000 sailors since 2021. The Army, facing similar challenges, lowered its recruitment goals to avoid even larger shortfalls.
While the Navy has avoided decommissioning warships for now, its Military Sealift Command recently announced plans to retire 17 logistics vessels essential to naval operations due to a lack of qualified merchant mariners.
As these negative trends build, DEI proponents may follow the lead of the corporate world, which has been distancing itself from such initiatives. Some have even rebranded DEI as “IED” to emphasize inclusion, but the underlying Marxist ideology remains unchanged, still aiming to create division, whether through class or race.
This mindset aligns with the core of critical race theory. It’s worth recalling the words of Ibram X. Kendi, a prominent figure in the DEI movement, who stated:
“The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination. The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”
After years of dividing people into oppressors and oppressed, privilege exercises, and emphasizing that unchangeable traits are linked to historical wrongs, groups that once formed the backbone of military recruitment are withdrawing. White men, in particular, who have been marginalized and criticized, are enlisting in much lower numbers. They are not the only ones feeling alienated by the military’s preoccupation with DEI.
Further complicating matters, military parents are now discouraging their children from joining the armed forces—a stark shift in attitude not seen before. This decline in support coincides with the summer of 2020 and the intense push for DEI initiatives, a time when even drag-queen shows on military bases were defended.
Rather than labeling some as “oppressors” and others as “oppressed,” a more logical and genuinely inclusive approach would focus on building a cohesive team with a unified goal: fulfilling the Navy’s mission. The best way forward is to eliminate DEI remnants from the Coast Guard and Navy, prioritizing unit cohesion, enhancing skills, and evaluating sailors on merit.
While it’s true that individuals start from different circumstances, those who are dedicated and capable are crucial in these dangerous times. Programs like BOOST, which was ended in 2008, should be reinstated and updated. BOOST was designed to help promising enlisted sailors from disadvantaged educational backgrounds prepare for college and commission as officers. Today, there is a critical need for motivated recruits not just for officer commissions but also for highly specialized technical roles, like nuclear mechanics, which are in short supply.
It’s worth asking why the Marine Corps hasn’t faced the same struggles as other branches. One reason may be their strong institutional culture, embodied by their motto “Semper Fi,” which other branches have seemingly compromised in favor of short-term political trends.
People join the military to serve their country, not to promote personal identities. What the nation truly needs are citizens driven by patriotism, not diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—this is the call to service that should unite all.
