It may be only Wednesday, but that hasn’t stopped the U.S. military from racking up one of its worst weeks yet under President Joe Biden.
In the span of two days, numerous stories have emerged reaffirming that the Biden Pentagon’s top priorities aren’t winning wars or taking care of personnel but injecting leftist politics into the service and funding endless overseas conflicts. From requesting U.S. taxpayer funding for neo-Marxist programs to shipping more aid to Ukraine, the revelations (sadly) represent a continuation of the military’s “reimagining” under Biden’s presidency.
Forcing Soldiers to Pay for Equipment Left in Afghanistan
On Monday, the X account known as “Libs of Tiktok” posted a viral video from an alleged U.S. Army soldier with the last name “Michael,” who in his now-unavailable post lamented the current state of the U.S. armed forces. While describing his experiences leaving the service after four years on active duty, Michael claimed the military is forcing him to pay for equipment he was ordered to leave in Afghanistan during the Biden-led U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Here’s what allegedly happened, as summarized by Michael.
Two years ago, my unit deployed to Afghanistan for the Afghanistan withdrawal. We spent a few weeks over there. It was hectic, it was chaotic, it was disgusting, and it made me very disappointed in our government. Today, I’m reminded of how disappointed I am in our government. Go to turn in my gear, they want to charge me 500 to a thousand dollars for gear that I was ordered to leave in Afghanistan two years ago. Because as the last two birds were sitting on the tarmac ready to leave, there wasn’t any room for extra gear, extra weight. Therefore, we were told to leave it. Some lower enlisted dudes, including myself, were like, ‘No, this stuff is expensive, I’m not leaving this, I’m gonna get charged for this when it comes time to leave.’ [They told us,] ‘Don’t worry, we’re gonna catch you on the back end.’
According to Michael, the service’s purported pledge to cover the cost of the equipment was never fulfilled. Toward the end of the video, Michael also showed what appears to be a document from the military dated Nov. 20, 2023, with charges totaling more than $3,500.
“This administration’s last priority is the American people, and inside of the American people, their last priority is their soldiers, their Marines, their airmen, [and] their Navy,” Michael said. “I thought today was gonna be bittersweet getting out [of the Army], but … I’m very, very excited to stop serving my government and just getting started serving my country.”
U.S. Army Central did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment on the validity of Michael’s allegations. USARCENT also did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment, if Michael’s allegations are true, on why such a policy was implemented and who authorized the policy.
Advising Service Members Against Attending Conservative Events
Reports on Tuesday revealed that military leadership at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota sent out a hyperbolic communique warning base personnel to be on alert regarding a local gathering of conservative activists.
According to Fox News, base leadership issued the advice ahead of a Nov. 17 “Dakota Patriot Rally,” which was set to feature a Turning Point USA official as a guest speaker. Published in a Facebook group, the text advised base personnel “to be cautious” if traveling in the area and further claimed event attendees “could be confrontational to military members.”
As if the fearmongering were not bad enough, base leadership allegedly went on to describe TPUSA as an “alt-right organization,” and ominously threatened that “participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize [troops’] continued service in the U.S. military.”
Requesting Money for Neo-Marxist Programs
Rather than direct its resources toward building up America’s decaying naval fleet, the Department of Defense is requesting approximately $114 million to fund so-called “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,” or DEIA, programs for fiscal year 2024.
An offshoot of Marxism, DEIA, or DEI, is a divisive ideology that dismisses merit and discriminates based on features such as skin color and sexual orientation. Individuals who qualify for a certain position on merit but don’t meet the discriminating entity’s goal of being more “diverse” are passed over in favor of those who meet institutionally preferred identitarian standards.
According to the Pentagon’s “Strategic Management Plan” for FY2022-2026, the agency intends to direct the requested funds toward “programs and initiatives aimed at furthering DEIA, and incorporating DEIA values, objectives, and considerations in how [it conducts] business” and carries out missions. The plan also lays out how the military aims to recruit and retain a “diverse” force, which the agency claimed strengthens the U.S.’s “global joint warfighter capabilities.”
Announcing More U.S. Taxpayer Dough for Zelensky
What better way to jumpstart the week of Thanksgiving than to give yet another U.S. aid package to Ukraine?
On the same day Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky overseas, the Pentagon announced it intends to ship a “security” package worth $100 million to Kyiv to help Ukraine counter Russia’s invasion. A DOD press release indicates the package includes “additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons” and other instruments deemed necessary by the Biden administration.
While Congress and the Biden administration committed more than $113 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine in 2022 alone, that hasn’t stopped the White House from bullying Congress into authorizing even more aid for the Eastern European nation. Last month, the Biden administration proposed a $105 billion spending package that would force Congress to ship billions more to Ukraine as a package deal with U.S. aid to Israel. In essence, the Biden administration is using Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel to coerce House Republicans into dumping more money into Kyiv’s coffers.
House Republican efforts to approve standalone aid to Israel using previously allocated IRS funding have since been blocked by Senate Democrats, the latter of whom refuse to approve an aid package for Israel unless it includes funding for Ukraine.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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