Let’s call this what it is: a declaration of cultural war disguised as military reform.

Trump’s executive order, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” is not about meritocracy. It is not about readiness. It is a calculated rollback of hard-fought progress—designed to erase the dignity, representation, and contribution of those who have historically been excluded, all under the pretense of national strength.

This order treats Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) like a disease rather than a cure—like a dangerous ideology rather than a principled attempt to build a fighting force that reflects the country it defends. It falsely claims that efforts to level the playing field are a threat to cohesion, while ignoring the real threat: a command culture that sees difference as weakness.

DEI is not about quotas or favoritism. It's about fairness. It's about acknowledging the long shadow of discrimination and finally—finally—doing something to correct it. To erase that work now is to say the old system of exclusion and silence was just fine all along. It wasn’t.

This executive order insults the intelligence and integrity of the service members who have fought to make the military more inclusive. It implies that acknowledging race, gender, or identity is somehow un-American, while pretending that “color-blindness” is the same as justice. Spoiler: it's not. Color-blindness is a smokescreen used by those too uncomfortable—or too unwilling—to confront inequality.

And the gall to forbid teaching that America’s founding documents were born out of compromise, contradiction, and yes—racism—is a brazen attempt to rewrite history by executive fiat. Patriotism is not obedience. It is not blind reverence. True patriotism is the courage to confront our imperfections and build something better.

This order doesn't restore America’s fighting force. It weakens it—morally, ethically, and operationally. Because no military can claim greatness if it demands silence from those it asks to sacrifice. No institution can lead if it punishes the truth-tellers, the bridge-builders, and the changemakers.

What this order calls “divisive,” the rest of us call progress. And no matter how many times it's repealed, rewritten, or buried under jargon, the drive toward equity will not be undone.

Because a fighting force that reflects the strength, diversity, and promise of America is not just a political goal—it is a strategic necessity. Anything less is cowardice wrapped in a flag.