During the Biden administration the military focused most of its efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion rather than warfighting. Even that effort failed.

For the last two years, the Air Force recruited officer candidates based on skin color more than individual merit and failed to reach those goals in 2023 and 2024. The Department of the Air Force aimed to have officer applicants be 67.5% white, 13% Black, 10% Asian, 1.5% Native American and Native Alaskan, and 1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander. The non-white goals fell short between 0.5 and 5%.

With the Trump administration taking over in January, the diversity goals are expected to disappear, and merit is expected to take its place.

Maybe the Department of Defense should define recruiting goals by something other than skin color.