Ft Wayne Times

Rep. Jim Banks, Chairman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, has initiated an investigation into the U.S. Air Force's use of race and sex-based quotas for officer applicants. This inquiry was prompted by a memorandum from the Secretary of the Air Force's office dated August 9, 2022, which outlined diversity and inclusion goals for commissioned officer applicants.

Banks expressed his concerns in a statement: "The Biden-Harris DOD’s use of race and sex based quotas is un-American and it should be illegal. It is difficult to understand how the Air Force could aim to cut recruiting of Americans who don’t check the right demographic boxes during the worst recruiting crisis in the history of the All-Volunteer Force. Republicans must work to put merit back at the center of our armed services. It is the right thing to do and it is the only way we will be able to compete with Communist China."

He has also submitted amendments to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) aimed at ending affirmative action at service academies and prohibiting consideration of race in military accessions.

According to documents obtained by Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF), internal correspondence indicates that Assistant Secretary Alex Wagner advocated for implementing specific demographic timelines for these quotas. An email revealed Wagner's request for details on meeting goals for various demographics such as black males and white females.

In response to this information, Banks posed several questions to Wagner, including how reducing white male ROTC applicants aligns with broad recruitment goals and why certain demographics would face reduced recruitment efforts amid existing challenges.

Banks requested responses from Wagner by October 20, 2024.

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