Demand #4: Restore DEIA protections

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts to explain 50501 Veterans’ Six Demands.

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Restore DEIA protections – The military’s not-so-secret weapon

The current administration seeks to erase the contributions of our diverse service members by eradicating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives and civil rights protections. Imposed by the diktat of executive order, these rollbacks reverse decades of anti-discrimination efforts.

Our history is decorated with invaluable contributions of diverse groups, from African American soldiers in the Civil War to LGBTQIA+ War on Terror veterans who served with honor despite facing discrimination. Black, Muslim, immigrant, Indigenous and female service members all serve today with honor, courage and commitment.

Yet they are now met with disdain from the administration, instead of the gratitude they so greatly deserve. The total retreat of DEIA programs under this administration is nothing more than kryptonite for our military’s most important not-so-secret weapon: the people in its ranks.

Coming Home

Most Americans aren’t aware of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. On D-Day, the segregated Black unit destroyed three Nazi warplanes attempting to strafe their brothers-in-arms on Omaha Beach.

Their story is not unique. Neither is what happened when 1.2 million Black service members returned home after World War II. They were systemically excluded** from using the same benefits their white counterparts received.

Two decades later, the Civil Rights Act was the first serious attempt to use DEIA as a tool to combat systemic racism stemming from segregation, redlining, and other regressive policies. It protects workers from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and prohibits discrimination in public accommodations and programs receiving federal funding.

Since then, federal anti-discrimination laws have expanded to provide civil rights protections covering gender equity, disability rights and protections for LGBTQAI+ individuals as well.

DEIA’s Death Knell

On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed executive orders to eliminate DEI programs, ending efforts, he claimed, to ”socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life [and to] forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.”

His orders included a policy to recognize only two genders: male and female. They also mandated that warfighters not be “subjected to radical political theories and social experiments. . . Our armed forces will be freed to focus on their sole mission: defeating America’s enemies.”

Under this administration, ensuring all veterans are treated equally isn’t a priority. It’s not even a passing consideration. Several oversight agencies created by Congress to protect civil rights are being scuttled.

Still, the modern military, as a microcosm of the diversity of our nation, exposes service members to a diverse range of people and experiences, especially when it comes to leadership.

DEIA was the driving force for building strong institutions and disciplined warfighting units where everyone belongs and can thrive, while not ignoring systemic barriers that have historically excluded marginalized communities. Recognizing and respecting differences lead to more honest conversations and deeper bonds. These conversations foster the trust that mission success demands.

2nd Lt. Emily Perez, a Black woman and child of immigrants, led troops and served with distinction, ultimately paying with her life. She was the first Black female officer in U.S. history to die in combat, as well as the first female graduate of West Point to die in Iraq.

That didn’t matter when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued his own diktat to eliminate anything that promotes DEIA by March 5th of this year. Perez’s profile video disappeared from Army websites, only to be restored after the removal was met with outrage.

None of these stories mean more than those of historically more privileged demographic groups within our ranks. The value of their life experiences, however, lies in what it says to those who follow in their footsteps.

“When we see people who are like us, doing these things, it gives us the initiative, the drive, and the inspiration to know that we can do those things, too,” says Black Marine Corps veteran Marnisha Mintlow. When servicemembers are seen, heard, and valued, they form stronger bonds with their soldiers, sailors, airfolk, and Marines. That trust, the kind built through mutual trust and understanding, translate directly into unit cohesion, operational readiness, and mission success.

From Dawn to Dust

Sadly, the dawning of DEIA programs didn’t fully level the playing field for the marginalized communities.

But it was getting there.

The death of DEIA programs under this Administration, however, is nothing more than a cowardly retreat.

Next Demand: Protect Democracy, Restore Diplomatic Norms, and Maintain Strong Alliances with Global Democratic Leadership.