Earlier this month, I saw an article in USA Today with the title: “Pentagon’s elite forces lack diversity.” That same day Col. Allen West was in my radio studio, and I commented that you could also say that the elite NHL hockey teams lack diversity and some NBA basketball teams lack diversity. That’s because they are dedicated to putting the best players on the ice or on the court. Doesn’t the same standard apply to the men and women in uniform?

He agreed, so I wasn’t surprised to see his recent commentary with the provocative title: “If I were Secretary of Defense, here’s the FIRST position I’d eliminate.” He says there is “no need for diversity agents to try and manipulate the composition of our armed forces, sacrificing our effectiveness in pursuit of fairness, under the guise of enhanced increased capability.” Diversity is not the goal of the military. The goal is to fight and win wars.

He wonders if the mantra of “every kid gets a trophy” that inhabits our youth athletic programs has now come to the Pentagon. Let’s be clear, anyone who can rightfully be called a Navy SEAL or a Ranger or a member of the Delta Force earned that designation. Skin color or ethnic origin had nothing to do with becoming one of our nation’s elite forces.

At a time when we are facing so many potential threats from terrorists and countries like Russia, China, and Iran, we should be putting the most qualified people in these elite forces regardless of their skin color.

Allen West concludes that the “policies of our Defense Department MUST not be about meeting quota goals, but rather in placing the MOST qualified, trained and ready force on the field of battle.” Thank you Col. West for your service and for injecting some common sense into this discussion.