DeSantis outlines policy proposal for ‘Mission First’ military, ridding ‘woke’ ideology
COLUMBIA, S.C. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis released his second major policy platform of the 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday in South Carolina, focusing on enacting a “mission first” military and ridding the U.S. Armed Forces of “woke” ideology.
The full proposal was added to his official campaign website.
“There was no greater honor than knowing I was wearing the cloth of my country when I served in the military, but our nation’s once-proud fighting force has been infected and paralyzed by a political agenda,” DeSantis said.
“It is time to rip the woke out of the military and return it to its core mission. We must restore a sense of confidence, conviction, and patriotic duty to our institutions — and that begins with our military,” he continued.
His campaign noted the plan’s “four key pillars”:
Ripping Political Agendas Out of Our Military
Restoring Military Standards
Breaking the Swamp & Promoting Accountability
Turning the Tide Against Biden’s Military Recruitment Crisis
Team DeSantis
On “ripping political agendas” out of the military, specific actions to take include ending certain “woke” operating policies on military bases and institutions, firing “diversity bureaucrats,” ensuring “woke indoctrination” is discontinued, and focusing Veteran benefits on Veterans rather than a “social agenda.”
In regard to “restoring military standards,” DeSantis’ campaign outlined four major actions to be taken, which include enacting a single standard of military readiness, ensuring all unvaccinated servicemen are reinstated, prioritizing “lethality, readiness, and capabilities” over things like “ideology and climate change,” and maintaining the proper enforcement of military code.
For “breaking the swamp & promoting accountability,” the campaign pointed to a list of actions, such as cracking down on who receives security clearances, enacting a “cool off period” for top Pentagon officials before and after tenure from becoming military contractor board members or lobbyists, and firing high-level officers who lie under oath to a federal official or Congress, or who contact an enemy counterpart without the knowledge of the president.
To address the recruitment crisis, DeSantis plans to “restore national pride” in the military by using the long-recognized “Bully Pulpit” of the president and instituting a program for schools to teach about military pride.
Another action outlined on the recruitment crisis involves expanding JROTC programs and civics programs, working with the Presidents’ Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition to boost recruitment, and to allow military families request educational savings accounts for their children.
The proposal comes after DeSantis’ first major platform rolled out late-June regarding border control.
