The Pentagon has faced backlash after quietly reversing its gender pronoun policy for award citations. The policy had previously been updated to require the use of gender-neutral pronouns for six joint awards. However, this change was met with criticism from GOP lawmakers and the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation.
In August, the Department of Defense (DOD) made an unannounced change to the manual, mandating the use of the word themself instead of gender-specific pronouns like himself or herself in award citations. The language was discovered by the Heritage Foundation, which reported that the end-of-tour award for Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was returned because he used gender-specific pronouns in his citation.
The awards affected by the gender-neutral pronoun requirement included the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
The change in policy prompted a letter from Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, to the Pentagon, expressing his concern and calling for an explanation. Cotton later stated that this move by the DOD was not a mistake and accused the Biden administration of trying to woke-ify the military.
Following the backlash, the DOD issued a clarifying comment, stating that themselves can be replaced with himself or herself. As a result, Gen. Milley’s award citation was ultimately approved with the use of male pronouns.
Critics argue that the DOD should never have adopted this absurd left-wing terminology. They believe that the military should not be subjected to what they perceive as political correctness. The controversy raises concerns about the influence of ideological language changes within the armed forces.
The Pentagon’s reversal of its gender pronoun policy has ignited a broader discussion about the role of identity politics in the military. While some support the use of gender-neutral language as inclusive and respectful, others argue that it undermines traditional notions of gender and unnecessarily injects politics into military discourse.
The debate surrounding gender pronouns in award citations reflects larger cultural and political divisions in society. It remains to be seen how the Pentagon will navigate this issue moving forward, as it continues to face scrutiny from conservative lawmakers and organizations.
