Senior Military Leaders React To Tucker Carlson's Remarks That The U.S. Military Leadership Are More Concerned With Wokeness Than Winning The Next War

 

Tucker Carlson, FOX News: Tucker Carlson: Is the military more concerned with wokeness than winning the next war? 

Joe Biden would rather talk about maternity flight suits than the threat of China 

Joe Biden was elected as a moderate who was going to stay the course and return this country to normalcy. As it turns out, Biden is changing this country faster than any president ever has. Our job is to pay attention to how exactly Joe Biden is changing it. The New York Times isn’t going to tell you, and we think you have a right to know. 

Now, not every change that Joe Biden makes will matter over time. Despite all the huffing and puffing, a lot of things that presidents do are quickly forgotten. Some of the things he promises won’t happen; others are just symbolic ring-kissing, designed to appease the interest groups that got him elected. But some of Biden’s changes are very real, and they matter very much. Nothing matters more than what Joe Biden does to the U.S. military. 

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WNU Editor: The first video above is the video that has elicited the response from many Democrats and the Pentagon. The second video is Tucker Carlson's response to their reaction. 

Tucker Carlson has clearly touched a nerve among Democrats and their supporters in the Pentagon. Check out their reaction below. And most of it does not even address what Tucker Carlson actually said. 

 More News On Reaction To Tucker Carlson's Remarks That The U.S. Military Leadership Are More Concerned With Wokeness Than Winning The Next War 

Press Secretary Smites Fox Host That Dissed Diversity in U.S. Military -- US Department of Defense

Military leaders hit Tucker Carlson over remarks on women in military -- The Hill 

Tucker Carlson slammed by military leaders for mocking pregnant service members -- NBC News

Senior military leadership rebukes Tucker Carlson's comments on women in uniform -- CBS 

Military leaders thrash Tucker Carlson after comments about female troops -- Politico 

Pentagon and senior members of military call out Tucker Carlson for mocking women serving in armed forces: His words 'don't reflect our values' -- CNN

Pentagon, Fox News host Tucker Carlson go to war over 'feminizing' military -- Washington Times

Why Is The U.S. Military Building So Many New Weapons?

Reuters

Kris Osborn, National Interest: Why is the U.S. Military Building So Many New Weapons? (Like Smaller Nukes)

It is all about matching and deterring Russia and China.

The Pentagon is celebrating multiple accomplishments towards the implementation of the 2018 National Defense Strategy. These include progress towards having hypersonic weapons by 2023, the launch of U.S. Space Command and the largest proposed research and development budget in history. Furthermore, the military has created of a first-of-its-kind low-yield, submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead. All of these milestones are cited in a recent Pentagon report.

These are all quite significant, yet the existence of a low-yield nuclear weapon and the anticipated arrival of U.S. hypersonic weapons are of particular tactical and strategic relevance. This is because, in part, they are technical arenas in which both Russian and China are extremely advanced compared to America.

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WNU Editor: Yup. Its all about matching and deterring Russia and China.

When It Comes To U.S. Military Procurement, The More Things Change, The More Things Stay The Same

Image: U.S. Marine Corps (Photo by SSgt. Artur Shvartsberg)

Paul R. Ignatius, War On The Rocks: On Military Innovation, the More Things Change, the More Things Stay the Same

Although I served in the Pentagon more than a half century ago, I can remember some events from my eight years there from the beginning of President John F. Kennedy’s administration to the end of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s that have not lost their relevance with the passage of time.

A book of that time, The Uncertain Trumpet, by former Army Chief of Staff Maxwell D. Taylor, challenged the then-dominant strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons. The reliance on massive retaliation to cope with all military challenges, Taylor argued, offered “our leadership only two choices, the initiation of general nuclear war or compromise and retreat.” While he continued to support a strong nuclear deterrent, he wanted usable combat power, which he called “flexible response.”

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WNU Editor: I am old enough to know that things do change. Some good. Some bad. But with time things do change. The military is no exception.

Has President Trump Prepared The U.S. Military For Whatever Comes Next?

President Trump's Remarks At 2019 Pentagon 9/11 Ceremony. YouTube

Loren Thompson, Forbes: Top Five Steps Trump Has Taken To Prepare The U.S. Military For Whatever Comes Next

Last week’s domestic reaction to the killing of Iran’s top military commander was predictably partisan and speculative. Nobody can say for sure what will happen next in the Persian Gulf—just as we don’t know what lies ahead on the Korean Peninsula, in Eastern Europe, or in the Horn of Africa.

In such circumstances, the only prudent posture for America’s military is to be prepared for a diverse array of challenges. That is the vector President Trump put military plans on when he took office. Whatever you may think of Trump the man, he installed a highly capable defense team that systematically addressed military deficiencies inherited from the Obama years.

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WNU Editor: You can never be prepared for whatever comes next. But you can try. Which I guess is the point of the above article.

Is The United States Being Outmatched By Russia and China?

Dan Goure, National Interest: Military Nightmare: Is the United States Being Outmatched by Russia and China?

America may not be able to compete in future wars.

Key Point: It's been decades since the U.S. army has had to prepare to fight a peer competitor.

The U.S. Army once was superior to every potential adversary in terms of combat power, what it called overmatch. This is no longer entirely true. In the future battlefields, the Army will face enemies that will be extremely lethal, more numerous, fighting on home turf and able to exploit the advantage of getting in the first blow. Unless the Army takes a number of steps in the near-term, it is likely to find itself not merely outmatched, but at risk of defeat.

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WNU Editor: If there is a war between the U.S. and China and/or Russia, I am one of those who believes that it will quickly escalate into a nuclear one. In such a scenario no one is going to be outmatched. Most of us would be dead.

This U.S. Military Officer Reflects On 18 Years Of War

A US soldier walks at an army base in Karamless, east of Mosul, Iraq, December 25, 2016. (Reuters / Ammar Awad)

Danny Sjursen, The Nation: I’m Watching My Students Become Soldiers in Our Endless Wars

At West Point, Graduation Day felt more like a tragedy than a triumph.

Patches, pins, medals, and badges are the visible signs of an exclusive military culture, a silent language by which soldiers and officers judge each other’s experiences, accomplishments, and general worth. In July 2001, when I first walked through the gate of the US Military Academy at West Point at the ripe young age of 17, the “combat patch” on one’s right shoulder—evidence of a deployment with a specific unit—had more resonance than colorful medals like Ranger badges reflecting specific skills. Back then, before the 9/11 attacks ushered in a series of revenge wars “on terror,” the vast majority of officers stationed at West Point didn’t boast a right shoulder patch. Those who did were mostly veterans of modest combat in the first Gulf War of 1990–91. Nonetheless, even those officers were regarded by the likes of me as gods. After all, they’d seen “the elephant.”

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WNU Editor: The above author is clearly pessimistic on what these endless wars have brought to America. But I find there is a bigger story that is not receiving the attention that it deserves. Even though the American military is a volunteer force, it still has no problem to attract recruits, even with a booming economy. These young men and women want to serve, knowing too well that they may find themselves in a war-zone and all the dangers that it may entail. There is something to be said about that.

Why Is The U.S. Military-Intelligence Complex Determined To See President Trump Removed From Office?

Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness: The Military-Intelligence Complex

Many retired high-ranking military officers have gone beyond legitimately articulating why President Trump may be wrong on foreign policy, and now feel free to smear him personally or speak openly of removing their commander-in-chief from office. And the media and the bipartisan foreign-policy establishment are with them every step of the way.

Much has been written about the so-called Resistance of disgruntled Clinton, Obama, and progressive activists who have pledged to stop Donald Trump’s agenda. The choice of the noun “Resistance,” of course, conjures up not mere “opposition,” but is meant to evoke the French “resistance” of World War II—in the melodramatic sense of current loyal progressive patriots doing their best to thwart by almost any means necessary the Nazi-like Trump.

We know from a variety of disinterested watchdog institutions and foundations that the media has offered 90 percent negative coverage of the Trump Administration. CNN in its anti-Trump zeal has ruined its brand by serial fabrications and firings of its marquee biased reporters.

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WNU Editor: Read it all.

Is The U.S. Military Becoming More Politicized?

The military parade President Donald Trump proposed is set to be held on November 10. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Thomas Krasnican, Just Security: The U.S. Military Is Increasingly Politicized. Active-Duty Personnel Need to Prepare.

When Americans watch news coverage of any contemporary event, no one’s surprised to see it turn political. We live in a time when we can expect almost any topic – whether it’s school shootings, movie awards, climate change, or a sports event – to be packaged by members of one “side” to make their political point or use it as ammunition against the opposing political party. As we have seen with President Donald Trump’s 4th of July parade, the USS John S. McCain controversy and Trump’s transgender military ban, military events and policies are not exempt from this trend, and young service-members must begin preparing to serve in an increasingly politicized environment.

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WNU Editor: For as long as I can remember the U.S. military has always been heavily politicized. Presidents and politicians always want to put their stamp on the military, and President Trump is not an exception to the rule.

The Real State Of The U.S. Military

An M-2 Bradley combat vehicle at the "Salute to America" Independence Day celebration. Tom Brenner / Reuters

Thomas G. Mahnken & Roger Zakheim, The Atlantic: Antiques Road Show: The Real State of the U.S. Military

The wars of the future may depend not so much on the kinds of things you can put on parade, but on new technologies that reimagine warfare.

That a military display on Independence Day proved to be controversial should not be surprising, even if one discounts the partisan tone of much of the criticism. Americans tend not to favor displays of military power, except in the aftermath of successful wars: The Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the 1991 Gulf War were all followed by parades. Military displays nonetheless have the benefit of showing the American people what their investment in national defense has yielded. Contrary to President Donald Trump’s assertion that “our nation is stronger today than it ever was before,” the “Salute to America” looked more like a military antiques road show than a display of a 21st-century military power.

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WNU Editor:A sobering essay on the state of the U.S. military today.

Does The U.S. Military Know How Many Troops, Ships or Which Fighter Jets It Needs?

The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, taken from an airplane in January 2008. Wikipedia

David Axe, National Interest: The U.S. Military Doesn't Know How Many Troops, Ships or Which Fighter Jets It Needs

A new report highlights a scary trend.

The Pentagon lacks a reliable process for deciding how many troops and weapons it needs. The analytical gap is getting worse as Chinese and Russian forces grow increasingly sophisticated and challenge the U.S. Defense Department's assumptions.

That's the worrying conclusion of a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The report could help to explain why the U.S. Navy insists it needs as many as 355 warships, up from 287 in 2019, and yet for 2020 has proposed to decommission early one aircraft carrier, delay amphibious-ship construction and cancel a new cruiser program.

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WNU Editor: I have been following the Pentagon's procurement process for years. And I have no clue on how they determine the number of soldiers/planes/ships/etc. that they need.

Can The U.S. Afford A Massive Military Build-Up To Make Sure it Can Win A War Against Russia Or China

Flickr

Michael Peck, National Interest: Report: America Needs a Massive Military Build-Up to Make Sure it Can Win a War Against Russia or China

But what is the strategy? What about the Middle East? How do we afford it?

If there is one theme that is present in a new report on American defense, it is the word “more.”

America needs more tanks, more submarines, and more stealth fighters.

And it needs to prepare to fight Russia, and China, while still maintaining its commitments in the Middle East.

Some would say this is a long-overdue step necessitated by defense budget cuts that have deprived the Pentagon of the tools it needs. Others would say this is national-security megalomania.

Either way, the report by the National Defense Strategy Commission, a bipartisan commission appointed by a quite partisan Congress to evaluate the Trump administration’s 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS), does confirm what many already believe: that Russia and China are the biggest threats to U.S. security.

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WNU Editor: I see very little political will for a massive U.S. military build-up. A build-up yes. Massive .... no.

Is The U.S. Military In Serious Trouble?

U.S. soldiers attend the inauguration ceremony of bilateral military training between U.S. and Polish troops in Zagan, Poland, January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Thomas Spoehr, National Interest: Why the U.S. Military Is In Serious Trouble

"The report notes that the United States now faces five rising challenges—China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and transnational terrorism—yet has fewer military forces than at any time since the end of World War II."

The report of the National Defense Strategy Commission, released Wednesday, reaches conclusions with profound implications for U.S. national security. The report itself is a rarity for Washington, presenting bipartisan consensus that reflects hard-hitting views rather than watered-down, lowest-common-denominator mush.

In sixty-four pages of plain language, the commission paints an extraordinarily troubling picture of the state of U.S. national defenses, calling our present situation a “grave crisis” demanding “extraordinary urgency.” It’s a call we should heed.

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WNU Editor: The argument is that the U.S. military does not have the funds and resources to meet current mission priorities and objectives. My issue .... and one that I have been voicing since the start of this blog almost 11 years ago .... is that the U.S. needs to have a debate on what are America's priorities and objectives, and then outline the funds and resources that it will need to meet them. Currently .... I see the U.S. being involved in too many regions and conflicts that are not vital to U.S. national security and long term interests, but an involvement that is costing the U.S. an enormous amount of money and resources and with no end in sight. This .... to put it bluntly .... cannot continue. Fortunately .... some are now starting this debate .... 2 Reports On The U.S. Military, 2 Different Messages (NPR).

How Strong Is The United States Military?

Heritage Foundation: How Strong is the United States Military?

After a long needed boost in defense spending, does the United States military have what it needs to protect our interest at home and abroad? Heritage just released it's 2019 Index of U.S. Military Strength, an annual deep dive into our military's capabilities. On this episode of "Heritage Explains," Dakota Wood, a senior research fellow in Heritage's Center for National Defense and editor of the Index, walks us through some of the reports most important findings.

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WNU Editor: I always enjoy listening to these discussions.

Heritage Foundation: U.S. Military Hard-Pressed To Fight Two Major Wars At Once

Washington Examiner: America’s ‘marginal’ military hard-pressed to fight two major wars at once, Trump’s favorite think tank says

HERITAGE’S ANNUAL MILITARY INDEX: Despite the Trump administration's vaunted military build-up, the Pentagon is not ready to meet a key benchmark: Being able to fight and win two major wars simultaneously. That was among the bottom lines in the Heritage Foundation’s 2019 Index of U.S. Military Strength. The voluminous annual report by President Trump’s favorite think tank is being released at 9 a.m. today during an event with Sen. Joni Ernst, a Senate Armed Services subcommittee chairwoman, and a roster of experts. The think tank’s reports are worth watching as Trump has closely followed many of its previous recommendations on force size.

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WNU Editor: The Heritage Foundation report is here .... U.S. Military Strength (Heritage Foundation).

One Former Marine's Story And Why He Is Concern That His Brother Is Joining The Marines

Photo: The author, carrying a bag of samoon — a type of bread — while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, in late 2007. Courtesy of Matt Young

Matt Young, Time: I Hope the Military Doesn't Change My Brother Like It Did Me

My youngest brother leaves for basic training in April. I get it. The military fashions itself the last bastion of true manliness, and in a world that feels unstable, it promises four years of a steady job, decent pay, health care and moral high ground over those who didn’t serve. Then, they tell you, at the end of your active service you’ll be left with a marketable set of skills so desirable employers will be lining up outside your door begging for you to take their jobs. You’ll be wanted, a provider.

I’m eleven years older than my brother, who was four when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. But we grew up in different places, with different people. My biological parents reunited years after they gave me up for adoption. They raised my brother and our siblings in a small, beautiful Massachusetts town. When he and I first met, he’d just ended his junior year in high school. He was quick to smile and humble. He loved his dog. He had two present and loving caretakers who kept him in line. He was a high school quarterback.

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WNU Editor: It is impossible to understand a person by just one post .... but this is one person who is not happy that he made the decision to join and serve.

Here Is A Plan To Get The U.S.Military Back On Track

US Navy

Mackenzie Eaglen, RCD: Time for the U.S. Military to Get Its Swagger Back

While the Pentagon’s new strategy is being released in 2018, it is more like the year 2000 on Capitol Hill with members itching for the maverick spirit of then-presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express.

The substance of the document is classified at the request of Capitol Hill, but there is a growing consensus about how to grade its success or failure. It is past time for a new National Defense Strategy that seeks to break the mold in honesty, clarity, conciseness, and fresh thinking. As an official articulation of Pentagon doctrine, this is an opportunity to mend the broken dialogue between the military and the government and people they serve.

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WNU Editor: Too many commitments and missions. Not enough manpower and resources. No debate (at least publicly) on what should be America's priorities when it comes to national security. All of these factors result in this .... Mattis says US competitive warfighting edge has eroded (AP). Will the current administration put the U.S. military back on track is something that I do not know. But what I do know is that with the U.S. government now shut-down over the issue of immigration, chain migration, and what should be the status of people who entered the country illegally .... these discussions and decisions are not going to happen.

The Top 10 U.S. Military Stories of 2017

The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, taken from an airplane in January 2008. Wikipedia

Military.com: The Top 10 Military Stories of 2017

The U.S. military saw a number of newsworthy events during the past year, from the swearing in of a new president and commander-in-chief to deadly ship collisions in the Pacific that triggered a leadership reorganization of the Navy's 7th Fleet.

The list below highlights 10 stories from 2017 determined by Military.com editors to have the most editorial significance.

But we also want to hear from you: What stories that affected the military this year do you think were the most important? Please let us know by responding in the comments section or sending us an email.

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WNU Editor:  Some additional top military stories that should be included. The change in Pentagon leadership with former General Mattis now being the US Defense Secretary. Budget problems that do not go away. Readiness issues. Defeating ISIS. A complete audit of the Pentagon books.

This Is How The U.S. Military Attacks, Defeats And Destroys Its Enemies In Battle

Kris Osborn, National Interest: 10 Ways America's Military Attacks, Defeats and Destroys Its Enemies in Battle

Composed of the Army’s best green berets as well as operators from around the Department of Defense, Delta Force takes on high-stakes missions far ahead of the rest of the military. It was Delta Force that led the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in the Tora Bora mountains in 2001.

When America needs to break its way into an enemy country, these are the people who slip, kick, or explode their way past the defenses and blaze the way for follow-on forces.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is unmatched when it comes to winning battles. The problem they have is winning wars.

RAND Study: U.S. Military Could Lose The Next War

U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships steam in formation during their military manoeuvre exercise known as Keen Sword 15 in the sea south of Japan, in this November 19, 2014 handout provided by the U.S. Navy. REUTERS/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Cavagnaro/U.S. Navy/Handout

Bill Gertz, Washington Times: Dire warning: U.S. military ‘poorly structured,’ vulnerable to China, Russia threats

A new study by the Rand Corp. is warning that U.S. military forces are poorly structured to meet the threats posed by China, Russia and other states, as well as the continuing war against Islamic terrorism.

The study, “U.S. Military Capabilities and Forces for a Dangerous World,” presents the stark conclusion that the American military needs to reform its structure and war fighting plans to better deal with military challenges.

“Put more starkly, assessments in this report will show that U.S. forces could, under plausible assumptions, lose the next war they are called upon to fight, despite the United States outspending China on military forces by a ratio of 2.7 to 1 and Russia by 6 to 1,” the report said. “The nation needs to do better than this.”

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WN Editor:  People are now raising red flags.

Will An Air Force General's Viral Message Against Racism Lose It's Impact After Knowing The Incident That Caused It Was A Hoax?

Byron York, Washington Examiner: At Air Force Academy, a perfect hoax for age of Trump

It's hard to exaggerate the praise heaped on Air Force Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria after his impassioned speech against racism went viral at the end of September. Silveria, superintendent of the Air Force Academy, spoke after five black cadet candidates at the academy's prep school found racial slurs written on message boards outside their rooms.

"If you can't treat someone from another race or a different color skin with dignity and respect, then you need to get out," an angry Silveria told students. "If you can't treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out." When video of his speech hit the Internet — nearly two million YouTube views — and then cable TV, and then the old-fashioned press, the applause began. Silveria, some said, was a true American hero.

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WNU Editor: This blog covered this story when it first broke out .... U.S. Air Force's Academy Superintendent Rebukes Students Over Racism (September 30, 2017). And to now know that the incident that sparked this speech was a hoax .... sighhhh .... the message does get lost.