45 Comments

I hope these pass, but I've got a feeling they will get stripped out in Conference Committee.

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Sadly, I doubt it will get through the Senate

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founding

Great----I am somewhat hopeful, but really don't see how the Senate as presently constituted will pass this. Even if such a miracle occurs, there is still the White House and its denizens who will surely attempt to derail the process. This would at the least be a great executive order for the a Republican President to issue on day one.

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The language is there. I just hope one of the candidates explicitly endorses it for FY25.

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The drag stuff will continue because they will use MWR funds and still be able to testify truthfully that they did not use appropriated funds. Other loopholes will be found and exploited.

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Drag shows are in the category poorly attended MWR functions. In six years, I think I went to two events. A bus trip to New York City from Groton, and a preview showing of "Watchmen".

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Yeah, but they’re hoping the service members bring their children.

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Spouses bring children is more like it. AWFL wives exist, especially on the O side.

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Hey, a BRAC for Wokeness! Sal, you just cheered me up immensely. As a long-time reader, I look forward to DivThur posts. You always seem to have some new outrage, and clearly your network is vast. As others note, this may or may not pass the Senate, let alone Conference, let alone the White House. Still, the issues are now out in the open, screaming loud from the floor of the House. And hey, we don't have enough shipyards and aircraft rework facilities, not enough gun barrel factories, insufficient ammunition plants... So, something has to give. Let's vote on it: Diversity, or true, measurable Military Capabilities? Meanwhile, enjoy the symphony of sorrows coming from the air-conditioned spaces, if you get my drift.

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Perhaps if the DEI detritus can be jettisoned and the funds spent on personnel focused on shipyards and aircraft rework facilities, gun barrel factories, and ammunition plants there might be some improvement simply because the focus is more concentrated.

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Well, if this is attached to the Defense Appropriation Bill, I believe Ukraine funding is in there too, so there is leverage to support this repeal…

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" DoD’s strategic advantage in a complex global security environment is the diverse and dynamic talent pool from which we draw. We rely on diverse perspectives, experiences, and skillsets to remain a global leader, deter war, and keep our nation secure."

I don't see much diversity within the PLA or PLAN? That must mean we are gonna kick a$$ since they have no Uyghur Flag Officers. Not many Baptist FO either BTW.

We should get VOA messaging on that and hang some GO Uyghurs signs on our embassies

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I'm a Marine; but damnit, the COAST GUARD is one of the Armed Forces of the United States.

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I was wondering too why they were omitted.

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Their funding comes from DHS.

One can fantasize about similar language showing up there!

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As John S said, I think their funding is out of DHS and not part of NDAA.

Recently somebody mentioned we should a separate Navy funding Act from the rest of DoD, since it's the only Constitutional permanent defense force, and I agree with that too.

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Legally, the Coast Guard is a Law Enforcement Agency. They would be in a category similar to the Border Patrol, armed, but not officially military.

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During wartime they are under the Navy. Otherwise, DHS due to Posse Commitataus

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DEI may be the worst part of the bloat, but still plenty of staffing that needs to be cut in DOD.

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That bloat can learn to code as they deliver pizzas to pay the rent. I am getting massive amounts of endorphin hits and a fit of giggles and the Schadenfreude hasn't even materialized yet. I hate my occasional fecklessness. Sorry.

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A "Cleansing of the Bureaucratic Ranks" where most of the bureaucrats in government get sent out to work the fields would be in order.

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What? Like Cambodia? Not to imply anything, Billy. Just wondering. I have been an avid gardener all my life and think myself a better person for it.

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Something like that. I'd also take most of the FO & CMCs out to the waterfront and have them address the corrosion problem. ;)

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In the process of leaving a 4 star ACOM. There are 157 uniformed personnel. And 572 civilian personnel. So yeah, I'm on board with staffing cuts. Most of the staff is there to deal with self imposed bureaucratic requirements. HQDA G3 is starting to question a lot of the bureaucratic requirements

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“… even meeting in person at a Waffle House, Dunkin Donuts, or out of the way restaurants on both coasts to encourage me to not stop.”

You’re eating well, at least…

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I don't eat at Waffle House much anymore out of health concerns (diabetes & gunfire). But back in the day it was amazing the amount of work we county road builders got done over a massive breakfast and limitless coffee refills. Those breakfast meetings included us inspectors yakking about drainage issues or finessing right-of-ways to benefit both us and the residents in paving dirt roads without blueprints or us on-on-one with some disgruntled citizen with a real or imagined complaint. Seriously, breaking bread with friends or adversaries can have a very salutary effect. Most especially when you pay the tab.

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Maybe we should be recruiting Waffle House Wendy and her like:)

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Me and some shipmates accomplished more plotting and idea creation during our musters at the Open House Diner on Granby (across the street from the Jonathan shipyard ex-yacht club temp barracks,both now gone i hear) than we ever did at the official ones...

The perks of good food, endless coffee, and dating all the girls there made it almost a PCS....

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Was stationed in Norfolk from 1/68 to 3/70 on a DDG. Deployed to the Med twice which more than halved my time in Norfolk. Had no car so D&S piers and the dive bars outside the gate on Hampton Blvd were my world. I think I made it to Granby Street maybe 3-4 times. What a dreary Mos Eisley existence, but for the company of shipmates on liberty. Burgers and beer. What a difference a car would have made. Never went back to the Tidewater area until 20 years later on PCS to a CG in Mayport for TAO and Intel school. I liked the area far better then.

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Perhaps the water rises less slowly now.....

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Thank you House of Representatives. Regrettably, I don’t see Chuck schumer supporting this, much less FJB signing off on this. So this fight will receive zero media coverage and die

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BZ. Clear and unambiguous language re diversity etc.

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"DoD is committed to developing and maintaining a dignified...workplace."

I want that guy hooked up to a polygraph integrated to a taser.

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I read that as "laser" at first. Still a good idea

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OUTSTANDING, if it passes.

Even if it fails, it is a start and needs to run every year until it does pass.

This must not be vetoed, then rolled into a festering mess of a "must pass continuing resolution" with the good stuff stripped out.

Noted that the Coast Guard, with its own cancerous DEI infection is not included. Granted this is NDAA, not Treasury or Transportation or DHS, or whomever is foster parenting the USCG this year. But, even if our Coastie friends are not included in this bill, we need to get this passed.

Bravo Zulu to all who worked to draft and include this wonderful piece of legislation. And, to work to actually get it passed "regular order" instead of allowing delay to roll it into the malevolent continuing resolution and omnibus games where all manner of scum and villainy can be concealed.

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The military should provide a safe work environment?

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Do dangerous things, but do them safely.

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Yes. You should not get electrocuted while turning on a light in your workcenter.

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"The Administration strongly opposes the House’s sweeping attempts (sections 364, 523, 566, 595, 596, 598, 904, and 1046) to eliminate the Department’s longstanding DEIA efforts and related initiatives to promote a cohesive and inclusive force."

Ummm, notice nothing said about "Best", "Brightest", "Most Qualified", "Most talented", "Meets All Requirements", "Best of the Best", "Seriously promote above of YG", "Unlimited Leadership Potential"< or any other superlatives we've seen (and maybe read) on Fitreps.

If it doesn't pass we are well and truly FireF--Ked.

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We have been doing this for 18 years now?! Holy crap! This is good and necessary and I hope it passes the congress and at least gets to the White House. I hope it gets reintroduced in a new congress and signed into law by a new president. Point is we need to drumbeat this until it’s passed. Meanwhile the downstream effects will continue as the .mil leadership promotes up, ie Proposed CJCS chair.

Good work Phib. I know this is a validation for you after 18 years in the wilderness.

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