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Johnson’s July 2020 commentary, in the form of a letter to colleagues, was posted five weeks after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The commentary reflects how Mr. Floyd’s murder and the subsequent racism affected Mr. Johnson.
“As white colonels, unless we personally address racial injustice in the Air Force, you and I will be the biggest obstacles to change,” he wrote. White people predictably react defensively to any discussion of racial injustice. The white colonel is no exception. We are largely blind to institutional racism and take offense at any suggestion that our system benefits us at the expense of others.
“The fact that I wrote this letter to a white colonel has disturbed many of you, as a similar white defensive posture has played out in many of our conversations since the murder of George Floyd. we have seen.”
Johnson gave specific examples of the defensiveness of his white colleagues, but the white colonel was not the only one with whom Johnson felt uneasy.
He gained attention in an article in the Daily Signal, published by the right-wing Heritage Foundation. Johnson’s article was published last August in the Signal after Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) was widely criticized for promoting the promotions of 455 senior military personnel, including Johnson, and the promotions were on hold for nearly nine months. Three years had passed at the time.
The Signal, which surveyed those waiting for promotion, quoted William Thibault, director of American military projects at the Claremont Institute, as saying: Johnson has demonstrated a pernicious embrace of DEI policies that have no place in the U.S. military. His public characterization of the blindness of the “white colonel” is divisive in nature and sends shock waves through his command. ”
Mr. Tuberville lifted the hold in December, but Mr. Schmidt immediately maintained the hold, exercising the senator’s personal right to block the nomination. Regarding Jonson’s promotion. He was originally nominated by President Biden in January 2023.
“It is long past time to eradicate divisive DEI policies and their supporters from our apolitical military,” Schmidt said in a statement. “If we want to maintain our military as the world’s greatest meritocracy, our leaders must emphasize unity of mission and purpose, not enduring differences.”
Jonsson was mistakenly included in the Senate’s confirmation of top military officials in December, but his nomination was quickly withdrawn after Schmidt held back.
Leadership is one of Johnson’s strongest traits, according to colleagues, including some of the Trump administration’s top Pentagon appointees.
Heather Wilson, who served as Secretary of the Air Force under President Donald Trump, is a former Republican lawmaker and Air Force veteran. She supports Mr. Johnson, who was one of his top military aides at the Pentagon.
“Ben has served as commander or deputy commander four times and is an exceptional leader,” said Wilson, who is currently president of the University of Texas at El Paso. “There are few officers in the military who are better prepared to serve in areas of the world that are of vital national interest to the United States.”
Mr. Johnson’s biography includes his current one-star position as chief of staff for the 110,000-employee Air Force Maneuver Command, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It shows. Born in upstate New York and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota, the Air Force Academy graduate is fluent in Arabic, has seven air medals, and has flown 900 combat hours over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. His friends describe him as a devout Christian who is devoted to his interracial family.
“He is absolutely eligible for the promotion,” said Chris Bauman, a retired Air Force colonel who hired Johnson in 2017 to cover Jordan issues on the White House National Security Council under the Trump administration. Ta. “He has had an incredibly successful command at every level and has done exemplary work at the highest levels of government. He is exactly the kind of person we desperately need to lead our military.” critical and strategic thinker.”
Bauman blamed the hold-up on “politics in the service of ‘anti-woke’ policies.”
“Ironically, this reservation is actually made by conservative Christians who take seriously the teachings of Jesus and practice their faith in a way that leads to the flourishing of all those he leads, regardless of faith or race.” ”, Bauman added.
Johnson was not alone in his struggle against institutional racism. Just days after Mr. Floyd’s death, retired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein wrote the following commentary on the Air Force’s website: … Discussing our different life experiences and perspectives can be difficult and uncomfortable, so it is often avoided. But we are facing a crisis. We can no longer ignore this issue. ”
Additionally, Johnson’s article follows the Air Force’s official standards, which state that “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are key to the Air Force’s standards and mission.” Diversity of thought, experience, and perspective is essential to innovation and maintaining the Air Force’s competitive advantage. …. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility strengthen our force and ensure our long-term viability to support the Air Force’s mission with dignity and respect. . ” At the top of the document it says “COMPLIANCE…ISMANDATORY” in capital letters.
The White House, the Pentagon, the NAACP, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed (DR.I.), support Johnson’s promotion.
His message to Air Force decision makers in 2020 was direct, hopeful, and applicable far beyond the military.
“Dear White Colonels, you and I set the culture, drive the calendar, and write the policies at most installations in the Air Force. The Air Force will never get over the murder of George Floyd unless we take the time to come to terms with the fact that we are not as objective as we think we are, and that our system is not as fair as we think it is. But if we choose to engage and stop making excuses, we can overcome it and break down the invisible barriers.”
Jonsson’s nomination will expire if not approved by May 1.
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