During a recent hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton revealed that he had received hundred complaints about the woke, critical race theory-like training military members say they’ve been subjected to.
One whistleblower wrote to Cotton:
“In the barracks area of the installation, a massive BLM flag had been hung from the third story of the barracks, draping over both the second and first rows under it. The flag was probably fifty feet long, by fifteen feet wide. In addition to this, there were many service members that were wearing BLM t-shirts that sported additional BLM slogans, doo rags, and hats, all with BLM plastered on them. I am opposed to the BLM movement for many reasons, and seeing a constant reminder of this group daily, was offensive and distracting to me, especially in a combat zone. I also feel that it is a very politically driven and polarizing group, that has no business being advertised on a military base...”
The Dallas Morning News reported on the other complaints Cotton discussed at the hearing,
“one Marine told us that a military history training session was replaced with mandatory training on police brutality, white privilege and systemic racism. He reported several officers are now leaving his unit, citing that training.
Cotton detailed other submissions he said were received through the whistleblower webpage, including one from a service member who said a unit was required to read the book White Fragility and an airman who said a unit was forced to participate in a “‘privilege walk,’ where members of the wing were ordered to separate themselves by race and gender in order to stratify people based on their perceived privilege.”
During the committee hearing, Cotton also submitted a list of complaints for the record. There were 28 total submissions on the document, obtained by The Dallas Morning News, ranging in focus from critical race theory to alleged bias in military academies. One complaint was included twice.
One complaint reads, “woke Fundamentalism in the Military training at my units (redacted) treats the thought of saying ‘All Lives Matter’ as heretical and unacceptable. The unit encouraged turning in those who have such thoughts, beliefs during the ‘extremism stand down day.’”
Another reads, A [Department of Defense] Civilian who is retired military asked why is the training only focused on extremist groups on the Far Right and not pointing out Antifa and BLM on the Far Left who were burning down cities during the summer of 2020? The answer given because of the far-right groups that were involved in the 06 JAN 21 ‘insurrection.’” Another one reads, “I have worked for (unit redacted) for the past 12 years. They conduct training expeditions for several military academies. They now require all staff to attend a three day seminar on Critical Race Theory. And they hire new instructors based upon their race not experience or skill sets.”