I remember the first day of basic training in the USAF in the early 70s. We were shuffled into a room where a long line of barbers unceremoniously and rapidly shaved everyone’s hair. Scalp showing, hair not and layer upon layer of multicolored hair, some female-long, littered the floor.

Some of the young men shorn were near tears. Others struggled to appear stoic. A few years older than most recruits, I thought their discomfort hilarious and could barely keep from laughing. I understood it was at once theater and necessity, and I thanked the barber who nodded and smiled. He knew I knew. We were being, from the very beginning, stripped of our individuality. From that moment, we had to learn to identify as service members, people for whom the mission was all. We were necessary cogs in the blue machine and while our abilities and dedication mattered, they mattered in the context of obeying orders, meeting and exceeding expectations, and fulfilling our parts in the mission.

Merit, accomplishment and hard work were rewarded, but only within the guidelines established by the USAF, only if they contributed to and fulfilled the mission, which was pounded into us over and over: whatever our military occupational speciality—MOS—everything we did made it possible for the pilots to fly and complete their missions. Suggesting that being gay or black or trans had any meaning to that mission would have immediately earned an epic, full tilt Drill Sergeant beat down

During Biden’s Handler’s years, the hair, and every perverse inclination, remained. Discipline, competence, sanity and merit did not.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is mass-barbering the military: 

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell on Wednesday sent a memo to the entire department ordering the removal of all official online content promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in line with President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s priorities, Breitbart News has learned.

In a memo titled “Digital Content Refresh,” Parnell instructed all senior Pentagon leaders, combatant commanders, and defense agency and field activity directors to remove Department of Defense news and feature articles, photos, and videos promoting DEI. 

Graphic: DOD order, Public Domain

As one might imagine, it’s necessary to be explicit to leave no wiggle room:

By March 5, 2025, Components must take all practicable steps, consistent with records management requirements, to remove al DoD news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). All articles, photos, and videos removed from DoD websites and social media platforms must be archived and retained in accordance with applicable records management policies.

Hegseth recognizes the woke will try to destroy evidence of their insubordination, and contempt for the military and the UCMJ. 

DEl content includes but is not limited to information that promotes programs, concepts, or materials about critical race theory, gender ideology, and preferential treatment or quotas based upon sex, race or ethnicity, or other DEI-related matters with respect to promotion and selection reform, advisory boards, councils, and working groups.

Content requiring removal also includes that which is counter to merit-based or color-blind policies (e.g., articles that focus on immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex) or promotes cultural awareness months as outlined in Secretary Hegseth’s January 31, 2025, Memorandum, “Identity Months Dead at DoD.”

He also recognizes the woke will engage in “aggressive compliance,” going far beyond the letter and intent of the order:

It said explicitly that the guidance does not apply to content required by law to be publicly available or related to normal installation or component operations and activities, including but not limited to, customer-focused content such as:

• Base conditions, activities, and services;
• Current and historical leadership biographies;
• DoD Education Activity school activities, operations and notifications; and
• Morale, Welfare, and Recreation and Commissary operations and activities.

This order comes after an order last month that banned all observance of non-mission related events like “pride month” and other identity observances.  In that order, Hegseth wrote:

"We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics.”

If we’re to have an effective, loyal and deadly military, that—merit—can be the only focus.

Just as with eliminating terrorists infiltrating a population, it’s going to take time to prosecute and remove the last vestiges of woke insubordination from our military, but Hegseth appears to be energetically working at it.

On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that we’ve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription. 

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.