Chain of Weakness: DEI at the Highest Levels

By DOD Watch | July 29, 2025

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his team are making immense progress to restore the institutional integrity of the military, but the rot of the politicized flag officer class persists, and it takes the alliance of conservatives in the legislative and executive branches to fix the institution for good. The Pentagon and Senate Republicans must be vigilant about the woke generals and admirals who slip through the cracks of the military promotion system.

Senator Banks, Senator Tuberville, and a few others are working overtime to block the promotion of these problematic leaders, like when Senator Banks took a stand against the infiltration of DEI in our military by placing a hold on the promotion of Air Force Col. George H. Sebren, who openly advocates for race and gender based ideologies, last week. 

Now is the moment for those in the Senate who have spoken out against the corrosive effects of DEI policies—policies that undermine military cohesion, readiness, and merit-based advancement—to turn their words into decisive action. They must send an unambiguous message: the mission of our military is to ensure readiness and national defense, not to serve as a platform for social engineering.

These are only some of the officers slotted for promotion that must go, as we cannot trust them to implement President Trump’s agenda to dismantle such a political ideology in the military.

General Thomas A. Bussiere (Air Force)

• In a statement to the House Armed Services Committee he states that he is actively working to increase the retention and onboarding of diverse recruits. 

• He worked to implement the Women Peace and Security guidelines for inclusion of more women in the services. 

• Attended a “Go-Inspire” event, an organization that is dedicated to increasing diversity in recruiting, specifically in JROTC. 

Rear Admiral Paul C. Spedero Jr. (Navy)

• Made remarks at the second annual celebration of LGBT pride month aboard the USS Eisenhower in 2016. 

Major General Marcus S. Evans (Army)

• Authored and signed a memo stressing the importance of Military Equal Opportunity training as well as anti-harrastment initiatives. 

Lt. General Andrew J. Gebara (Air Force)

• Purposefully took steps to include more female pilots, citing that their diversity and backgrounds made the force more “effective.”

Rear Admiral John E. Dougherty IV (Navy)

• In a 2024 memo he stated: “I am committed to creating a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment where all employees can thrive, develop their potential, and contribute to the success of their workplace.” 

  
  

Lt. General Shawn N. Bratton (Space Force)

• General Bratton published and wrote the forward of the 2022 Space Force Doctrine. Included within the doctrine, Chapter 4, was a DEI policy. 

  
  

The effort to restore a mission-first, merit-based military will fail if the very generals and admirals who championed divisive DEI policies during the Biden years continue rising through the ranks under a new administration. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are working to purge this ideology from the top, but they cannot fight this battle alone. The Senate must end its habit of rubber-stamping promotions and begin holding senior officers accountable for advancing political agendas that weaken readiness, fracture unity, and erode our warfighting capability. A clear line must be drawn: those who pushed DEI will not be rewarded with further advancement in America’s armed forces.