Statement to DACODAI by Captain Tom Burbage, US Navy ret, USNA ’69, President of the Calvert Task Group

15 April 2024

To: General Lester L. Lyles (USAF, Ret.), Chairman
Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI)

From: CAPT Tom Burbage, President, Calvert Task Group

Re: Written Submission for DACODAI Meetings (May 2-3, 2024)

Dear Chairman Lyles,

DACODAI’s notice dated April 2, 2024 indicates that members of the public may email written statements to osd.mc-alex.ousd-p-r.mbx.dacodai@mail.mil, which, if timely submitted, may be considered by your Committee’s membership prior to its May 2-3, 2024 meetings.

This invitation is in line with the value of diversity of thought. In accordance with that notice, please include this statement as part of the record for your upcoming meeting.

The Calvert Group’s mission is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, the United States Naval Academy, and the Navy. We affirm the Navy’s traditional values of courage, honor, and commitment and we believe those are under threat.

I represent approximately 400 members, mostly Annapolis graduates and almost all of whom are current, former, or retired naval officers representing thousands of years of Naval service.

We have observed with increasing alarm the dangerous politicization of our armed forces through the promotion of the divisive ideology of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

While sounding good, right, and politically correct, these carefully selected words are deceptive and destructive in nature when applied to social constructs that demand merit-based selection and exceptional leadership in potential life and death situations.

We believe in equal opportunity and in merit advancement. These two factors are critical to unit cohesion, morale, and effectiveness. We believe the military, above all other walks of life, must operate under those principles.

Our group collaborates with similar organizations such as STARRS, MacArthur Society of West Point Graduates, the Center for Military Readiness, Veterans for Fairness and Merit, Flag Officers 4 America, Restore Liberty, Heritage Foundation, and many other patriotic groups.

The purpose of this letter is to endorse the outstanding article by R. Lawrence Purdy, esquire, attorney-at-law and a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy, class of 1968.

Mr Purdy’s article was just published by the National Association of Scholars, and he has submitted his article to you. I highly commend this article to you and your committee for the closest possible reading. His article is at this link:

https://www.nas.org/academic-questions/36/4/our-service-academies-must-discard-race-based-admissions

General Lyles, all signs point to our military being in trouble.

Recruiting is at dangerously low levels. Coupled with pressure on the retention of trained and qualified soldiers, sailors and airmen, sustainment of our force levels is very challenging.

Readiness is at dangerously low levels despite threats from overseas being higher than they have ever been since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Our military must be preparing for war with no distractions, no disunity, no inefficiencies, and certainly no divisive personnel practices that pit the races and sexes against each other.

The nation is relying on you and your committee to see things clearly and not take the military down a false path that leads to trouble. We appreciate your challenge and are standing by to salute your conclusions.

Sincerely and very respectfully,

Tom Burbage CAPT, USNR (Ret)