One of the single dumbest phrases in military history was when Pete Hegseth said, "I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is 'diversity is our strength.'"
It shows his lack of experience and his ignorance of centuries of military strategy and battlefield experience that prove the opposite. Diversity—of personnel, roles, and thinking—has consistently been a source of strength. Consider the contributions of:
Combined units in military history
Success often came from combining diverse capabilities—like infantry with archers, or modern tanks with drone operators—reflecting the power of complementary roles over uniformity.Black, immigrant, and Puerto Rican soldiers in WWI
From the Harlem Hellfighters to Irish, Italian, Jewish, German, and Puerto Rican troops, WWI victory depended on men who were marginalized at home but indispensable on the battlefield.American tank units under Patton in WWI
Patton led America's first tank corps using French Renault tanks, showcasing how cross-national innovation and leadership helped shape modern U.S. armored warfare.Native American and Asian American code talkers in WWII
While Navajo code talkers are best known, other Native languages—and Japanese American soldiers fluent in multiple languages—were vital in cracking enemy codes and securing communications.Lack of diversity in the Confederate ranks
The Confederacy's exclusion of Black and immigrant soldiers and its homogeneous leadership limited its strength, while the Union's coalition of Black, Irish, German, and abolitionist troops proved decisive.Jewish and immigrant scientists during the Cold War
Jewish physicists and émigrés from Germany, Italy, and Hungary—including many who fled fascism—led U.S. advances in nuclear, space, and cyber technologies that defined Cold War power.Foreign and auxiliary troops in the Roman Army
Rome's most successful campaigns often relied on non-Roman soldiers—Germanic cavalry, Syrian archers, North African infantry—proving that empire thrives on inclusion, not just conquest.
Comments