Last weekend, millions of Americans learned that the United States Marine Band, known as “The President’s Own” had to cancel a concert with a bunch of high schoolers. The reason? Because President Trump’s anti-DEI executive actions barred the Marines from performing with, mentoring, and teaching kids of different backgrounds who were musicians.

Of course, the event was salvaged by American veterans who flew in from across the country to play the concert with the kids. It is a sad story with a redeemable end but heralds a new norm in the U.S. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continue to hold that diversity and the military don’t go hand in hand.

Many Americans would think that the military is a monolith, and that may have been the case in the past. But in a post 9/11 world, the U.S. military has grown and will continue to grow more diverse in the next 25 years.

Whites make up 74 percent of the veteran population, but that number will be dropping to 63 percent. Women continue to pour into the service, not........

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