Prescott area Congressman Eli Crane wants answers from the U.S. Coast Guard on its failure to reach recruitment goals and if it is putting too much of an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion training. Both Crane and fellow Congressman Matt Gaetz sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, pointing out the Coast Guard is short about 4,800 personnel and that the service has missed its recruitment targets for the past four years. They also say the lack of personnel has resulted in the temporary decommissioning of several ships and the closure of some satellite boat stations.
One part of the letter reads, “Also contributing to lower retention and recruitment is indoctrination training. We have heard from service members concerned with trainings and events they believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks, specifically sexual orientation and gender identity inclusivity training programs.”