(Stars and Stripes) Sen. Eric Schmitt on Thursday challenged President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead Southern Command over a report that the flag officer authored about improving diversity and inclusion in the Navy following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a police officer.

Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey, who would be the first Black person to lead SOUTHCOM if he is confirmed by the Senate, distanced himself from the report and said it merely offered recommendations for the Navy to review and consider for building readiness and preparing sailors for war.

“We are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of people serving together. There’s so many of us today who are looking for an opportunity to serve. They want to serve our nation and do what’s best for all of us. The Navy was looking for a way to find out who people were,” Holsey said. “After two years in carrier strike group command, I was asked to lead this effort. I did not ask for it. I didn’t want to do it, but I think I was selected to do it because of my character [and] my reputation.”

“Listen, I admire your career,” said Schmitt, a Missouri Republican. “This is not the first time I’ve asked on this kind of topic when people came before [to testify] and their name has been associated with some of these ideas.” . . .  .

. . . . Holsey, who is also nominated for promotion to admiral, served as director of Task Force One Navy, and the report offered 56 recommendations focused on recruiting, retention, professional development and innovation.

Schmitt focused on two recommendations: offering applicants of the Navy ROTC and the U.S. Naval Academy a cultural questionnaire tailored to individual minority candidates, and labeling minority sailors and officers with a “diversity stamp” during promotion boards.

“I do think it’s incredibly divisive,” Schmitt said. “It’s just dividing the room by immutable characteristics. … It has no place in our military. I do think we should be active in reaching out to a broad group of people to serve. I don’t disagree with that at all.”

While Schmitt did not say whether his concerns would affect his willingness to confirm Holsey, he did conclude the line of questioning with a promise to send along additional questions.

“There’s just a lot of questions about this report that I have, which I hope you can appreciate. I’m not alone in this. I think we need to do everything we can to ensure that our armed services, our military, is the great meritocracy should be,” he said.

“This obsession with race is not good for us. I don’t think gets us further down the road. I think it’s hurting recruiting.” . . . .  (read more on Stars and Stripes)