GOP Challenges Military Recruitment Strategies on Diversity, Fitness, and Pay

Republican senators grilled senior officials from the Navy, Army, and Air Force on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, which they said was among "woke" policies that are compounding recruitment challenges across nearly all military branches. The officials defended the importance of diverse teams for warfighting capability and improving retention rates. The Pentagon has not identified DEI training or particular policies under GOP scrutiny as a barrier to recruitment, and officials have said more diversity in the military helps tackle problems and come up with unique solutions. House Republicans have called for cuts to "woke" programs in the next fiscal year defense budget as part of a larger fight over spending and the debt ceiling.