US Air Force Prioritized Reducing White Male Applicants in ROTC Program, Documents Reveal
The US Air Force aimed to decrease the “white male population” in its Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) officer applicant program, internal documents obtained by the Daily Caller revealed.
According to the report by the Daily Caller, in 2022 the Air Force presented a plan that outlined reducing white male applicants as part of its broader racial and gender quotas. This information came to light after the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) sued the Air Force to obtain internal documents. Previously, the Air Force had responded to a 2023 Freedom of Information Act request from CASA, stating it could not locate records related to the demands.
The internal documents included a 2022 slideshow presentation, which depicted a slide labeled “AFROTC White” and showed the Air Force’s goal to reduce the proportion of white applicants in the ROTC officer program, with a target of fewer than 50 percent white applicants by fiscal year 2029. The slide noted, “White male population will decline as other demographics increase.”
Another slide titled “Racial Milestones” tracked progress on the Air Force’s gender and racial quotas. It noted that the Air Force had already met its goal for female applicants and was continuing to focus on recruiting African American males through specific programs and marketing efforts.
The presentation also detailed funding requests for diversity recruitment initiatives, including $500,000 for “diversity advertising campaigns” and $250,000 for “influencer engagements.”
The report highlighted how the Department of the Air Force has recently prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. A 2022 memorandum by the Air Foce emphasized that “diversity and inclusion are an essential part of our society and key to the success of any organization.” The newly revealed documents confirm this shift in focus.
The military’s focus on diversity quotes over attributes that would result in the hiring of the most qualified applicants has been met with criticism. James Fitzpatrick, director of CASA, told The Daily Caller, “The American people are rightly concerned that, at a time when our country is facing dangerous and increasing threats throughout the world, the Air Force is focused on recruitment efforts based on arbitrary racial diversity goals — not merit or increasing the force’s lethality.”
