The decision by War Secretary Pete Hegseth to dissolve the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services is a clear statement about the direction our military must go if it is to remain strong, mission-ready, and effective.

His recent speech railing against wokeness and manufactured, ill-conceived standards in front of our military’s top brass demonstrates his drive to eliminate this pernicious ideology from our armed forces. The focus on merit-based standards is both a policy choice and a necessary shift to ensure that our armed forces remain the world’s finest fighting force.

For decades, this advisory committee has focused on ensuring women in the military receive the support they need, from appropriate healthcare to the provision of properly fitting body armor. These are valid concerns — no one disputes the necessity for all service members, male and female, to have the tools they need to succeed in the harshest of environments. 

However, what the committee’s focus on gender-specific issues has too often overlooked is the importance of ensuring that every service member, regardless of gender, meets the same rigorous standards.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BECOMES THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR

There is no question that women are a critical part of our military. I should know more than anyone. The contributions of women in uniform are invaluable, and their service should be recognized and supported. But the idea that we should base military policy and military readiness on gender alone is dangerous and divisive. The goal should be to recruit and retain men and women who are qualified, capable, and ready to serve, not simply to meet a gender quota.

In this context, I agree wholeheartedly with Hegseth’s move to eliminate the advisory committee. The focus must return to merit-based advancement, not gender-based policies. The committee’s work, although well intentioned, has too often become bogged down in policies that prioritize gender representation over operational readiness. The idea that women need special treatment to succeed in the military does not serve the long-term interests of our armed forces, and it undermines the merit-based culture that has made our military the most effective in the world.

To be clear, I am not advocating the elimination of support for women in the military. As a former combat helicopter pilot who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, I understand firsthand the challenges women face in a male-dominated military. However, those challenges should be addressed in a way that enhances the overall strength of the force. This is done not through separate standards but through policies that ensure all service members, regardless of gender, are held to the same high standards of physical and mental capability.

We have to return to the principle of merit, and we must ensure that military policies reflect that. Quotas do not advance excellence. They compromise it. Our military is a place where the best and the brightest should rise to the top based on their abilities, not their gender. That’s the only way we ensure we maintain a military that is ready to face the challenges of the modern world, whether that’s deterring our adversaries or defending our homeland.

TRUMP AND HEGSETH SEEK A STOP TO IDENTITY POLITICS UNDERCUTTING MILITARY EFFECTIVENESS

We cannot afford to prioritize identity politics over military readiness. The dissolution of the advisory committee is a step in the right direction, but it’s just one step. The real work lies in ensuring that our military maintains a focus on merit, strength, and operational effectiveness at every level of the organization.

Let’s ensure that every woman and man who serves our country earns their place in the military based on merit, not special treatment.

Amber Smith, a military adviser for the Coalition for Military Excellence, is a former U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot and former deputy assistant to the secretary of defense.

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