On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) took part as the chair of the Heritage Foundation meeting for its National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness (NIPSMR). Especially with tensions rising all throughout the world right now, military readiness is a major concern.
Therefore, not only getting men and women to be a part of the military is a worriment but getting the those of the armed forces to stay in the military is just as important. That is what NIPSMR looks to address. And with the Florida Congressman being a member of the House Armed Services Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, this issue is right down Waltz's alley.
“The state of our national security has reached a critical juncture as China, Russia, and other global adversaries threaten global stability while confidence in the US military is declining. We must identify solutions to de-politicize the military and focus the warfighter on lethality and deterring the enemy, not a ‘woke’ agenda,” stated Rep. Waltz.
Many have questioned the military’s recent diversity training. For instance, in late September, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) – alongside Waltz – condemned the woke diversity training that was being taught in the Air Force. However, most worried about whether these decisions affect the effectiveness of the armed forces.
According the Waltz press release, the members of the panel have come to the conclusions that “politicization and divisive policies are negatively impacting military readiness.” The panel hopes to address recruitment shortages and encourage more Americans to serve.
The executive secretary of the panel as well as director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense Thomas Spoehr spoke about the meaning, also.
“We had an exceptionally productive meeting today focused on defining the key issues and a timeline for delivering a meaningful report that provides recommendations for our military. Each member was vocal in their desire to use this opportunity to help the military increase its readiness and address the challenges we have seen with military readiness. We have a four-month sprint ahead of us, but we fully intend to produce a report with recommendations by the end of March,” said Spoehr.
The panel will release a final report at the beginning of April of 2023.
