The Air Force’s Climate Action Plan feels like a distraction from the mission.
How will the military branch effectively teach its cadets to “Use words that include all genders: ‘Folks’ or ‘Y’all’ instead of ‘guys’; ‘partner’ vs. ‘boyfriend or girlfriend,’” as diversity training at the Air Force Academy instructs aspiring officers to do, now that it is so fixated on its new Climate Action Plan?
The Air Force’s Climate Action Plan touts itself as “instilling a culture in which Airmen and Guardians understand the implications of climate change.” But reading the 20-page guide reveals a plan for the Air Force so much more ambitious than that.
The plan aims to spend $100 million of the Air Force’s annual budget by 2027 on “base resilience” to climate change.
Critics necessarily retort that this amounts to $100 million taken from the Air Force’s mission to make the world safe for all pronouns.
“Future wargames will include an increased emphasis on incorporating allies and partner nations, and on testing sustainment capabilities, as both aspects of warfare have proven to be key to successful power projection,” the report explains.
But after engaging in all these “wargames” that test “sustainment capabilities,” how will the military find the time for diversity training?
“Operational energy (aviation fuel and energy to power aircraft) comprises over 80 percent of the department’s energy use,” the report notes. “Reduction of fuel use offers the most significant opportunity to optimize our operational capability while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To accelerate change and meet 21st century energy demands, we will continue to optimize our processes, technologies, and weapon systems to support joint all-domain operations globally as we combat the growing threat to our logistics capabilities and capacity.”
Perhaps adopting an F-15 Prius-style model, or going full glider, will work to “accelerate change” most effectively, but how will that help airmen learn about birthing people, the 72 genders, or plural pronouns for individual persons?
Mission accomplishment requires laser-like focus. If military history tells us anything, it warns against the temptation to fight on two fronts. Obliterate recalcitrant hangups regarding biology or destroy the enemy of global warming in the wild blue yonder.
Do one. Do the other. Do both at the risk of endangering the lives of servicemen and women by becoming disoriented from the mission.
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