American Family News spoke to Air Force Col. (Ret.) Rob Maness, a former bomber squadron commander who served the U.S. military for more than 30 years. "One of the best moves that the United States made in the 20th century, in 1973, was to go to an all-volunteer force," he contends. "The foundation of America's armed forces was a volunteer force."
But Maness finds it unfortunate that the Biden administration has taken the military "much further down the road of not being able to recruit and retain members." He cites a few reasons why he believes recruiting and retention numbers are down: the circumstances surrounding a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the enforcement of an unlawful military COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and an advancing "woke" ideology within the military.
Regarding the latter, the infiltration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in the military has "essentially said the military needs to be less white" and more inclusive of others based on gender, race, and sexuality, says the retired Air Force officer – who then points out that most service members killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan were white men.
"[And] today," he says, "the military is led by an administration that basically demonizes white men." In fact, President Biden's pick to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., signed an August 2022 memo that said there were 5,400 too many white officers in the military.
Turning away from military service
With the increased politicization of the military and the infiltration of a "woke" culture into the various branches of service, Maness agrees with a recent AFN story that families are no longer encouraging their children to join the military.
"It's not just a matter of families not wanting them to enlist, but many are actively saying to their children, 'you are not going into the military,'" he says.
Maness also notes the recent executive order that authorizes the Pentagon to use up to 3,000 reserve service members to augment its forces in Europe, which grew in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"It suggests the U.S. military presence in Europe is under strain and wearing out, and it's Biden's failed policies that led to this," he explains.
For these reasons, Maness has said for more than a year that "the draft is coming." And without an exemption to that draft, he adds, "you would not have a choice but to serve."
"That day is coming," he continues, "and now it's coming at a time when [the Biden administration is] forcing Russia closer to into the arms of China, both economically and militarily."
While more and more people are opposing to U.S. involvement in Ukraine or Taiwan, Maness contends the military draft is growing nearer by the day. "People are going to be forced to serve in a military they do not wish to serve in, particularly under the leadership of someone like Biden and his many acolytes," he laments.
