GOP study: Navy drowns in diversity

A report by four Republican congressmen claims that the Navy is more focused on diversity training than on preparing to take on potential adversaries.

At least one officer and one recently discharged sailor anonymously shared their concerns with investigators commissioned by

Sen. Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Reps. Jim Banks (Ind.), Dan Crenshaw (Texas) and Mike Gallagher (Wis.).

“Sometimes I think we care more about whether we have enough diversity officers than if we’ll survive a fight with the Chinese navy,” said a female lieutenant. “It’s criminal. They think my only value is as a black woman. But you cut our ship open with a missile, and we’ll all bleed the same color.”

A recently retired “senior enlisted leader” told the investigators that “I guarantee you every unit in the Navy is up to speed on their diversity training. I’m sorry that I can’t say the same of their ship-handling training.”

The Navy employs more than 300,000 people and it’s unclear if the views expressed in the 23-page report are representative of the force. Spokespeople for the Navy did not respond to a request for comment.

Cotton’s office published the report amid a national struggle over discussions about race in public institutions, with conservatives pushing back on what they say is an overemphasis on the legacy of discrimination and a focus on diversity of immutable characteristics such as race and gender.