A senior Pentagon official under Biden asserts that policies prioritizing nonbinary identities are crucial for national security.

The Pentagon's second-in-command pledged to prioritize policies for "nonbinary service members" and mandate critical race theory training, asserting that these measures are crucial for national security.

Kathleene Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense, emphasized the importance of fostering a cultural shift in the military at various Pride events, including the most recent one on June 5.

At a DoD Pride event for the Association of LGBTQI+ Service Members in June, Hicks talked about the Pentagon's priorities regarding LGBTQI+ individuals and their impact on military readiness, which refers to the ability to prevent potential threats, safeguard national interests, and enable the military to fulfill its missions.

Our commitment to nonbinary service members remains resolute, as it has for the past three-and-a-half years, to ensure our policies align with our focus on readiness and the well-being of our people, which is crucial to our success.

The DoD does not have policies for "nonbinary" service members, according to the Pentagon.

"Deputy Secretary Hicks emphasized the importance of Americans choosing public service to maintain our all-volunteer military force, and ensuring the health, safety, and trust within our military for readiness. She also highlighted the need to listen to servicemember input on a range of policies, not just the ones she mentioned in this instance. Hicks did not discuss or suggest the significance of any specific policy in relation to national security."

The Biden administration is tackling the "erosion of trust" in government institutions by entrenching DEI in recruiting challenges.

"Nicole Kiprilov at the Center for Military Excellence stated that Hicks' remarks were nothing more than self-loathing, anti-Americanism disguised as 'DEI,' which should be a cause for concern for all freedom-loving Americans."

"It's clear why our military has a 25% recruitment shortfall," she remarked.

In a second video reviewed by Planet Chronicle, Hicks stated in 2022 that it was crucial for "warfighting success" to have military training on "unconscious bias," a central concept in critical race theory (CRT).

Systemic racism in America is actively fueled through the implicit biases held by CRT.

To ensure our warfighting success, it is crucial to attract, train, and retain a diverse and skilled military and civilian workforce.

The mission's policy included developing diversity and inclusion training requirements and course curriculum, including training to detect and respond to unconscious bias.

The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, made this agenda a top priority for the Pentagon.

Secretary Austin prioritizes completing the real, concrete steps forward, even though there is still more work to be done.

She argued that a climate that encourages "talks" on DEI is vital to national security.

"We are dedicated to ensuring that leaders at all levels are held accountable for creating inclusive environments that encourage dialogue, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. This is a critical issue," she stated.

"We will continue to advance policies and programs to develop and nurture a diverse leadership pipeline, while taking into account the impact of organizational climates on our warrior readiness. We will direct initiatives to improve leaders' skill development and foster more effective, inclusive team environments. We must be agile in our approach, but also deliberate in our decision-making, considering the long-term consequences of our actions."

The Biden administration's zealous pursuit of the DEI agenda, as argued by proponents such as Hicks, has been criticized by right-wing politicians on Capitol Hill for potentially hindering national security.

"Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., stated on Planet Chronicle that the country and military must return to being a true meritocracy. He argued that the military has always been a meritocracy, allowing individuals to achieve greatness regardless of their background, and be celebrated as heroes by the country. However, he believes the current woke effort with DEI in the military is incompatible with American values."

The DoD was criticized by Republicans after it stated in February 2023 that diversity is crucial to mission success.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., stated that adopting woke culture rhetoric undermines the seriousness of our military in the eyes of our adversaries, particularly China.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., stated that the Biden Administration prioritizes implementing woke [DEI] initiatives over protecting Americans.