Peace Garden News

The U.S. Senate is being urged to reject the appointment of a Minot Air Force Base colonel to brigadier general due to his support for diversity initiatives. This call comes from Victoria Manning, a columnist for Restoration News.

Colonel Kenneth C. McGhee, who currently serves as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon, has been under scrutiny for his actions during his tenure at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. He signed and celebrated the 2024 LGBTQI+ Pride Month Proclamation while stationed there.

According to McGhee, "Our Airmen think differently, our nation thinks differently and we have evolved, and thank goodness we have," in support of Pride Month at Minot AFB. During an October 2023 Fireside Chat with Minot commanders, he emphasized that "Diversity is extremely important to us up here." In February 2023, he told media that recognizing African American History Month is "very valuable" for "re-educating people" on forgotten history, advocating for cultural education initiatives.

Manning expressed concern over President Trump's recent senior officer promotions, stating: "It’s imperative that President Trump appoints senior-level military officers who will enthusiastically follow the orders of the Commander in Chief." She added that some appointees are not qualified due to their "leftist ideology" and urged that "President Trump must retract—or the Senate must decline to appoint—these individuals whose views don’t align with a warrior-focused military."

Doug Truax, CEO of Restoration of America and a U.S. Army veteran, commented on this issue to Peace Garden News. He said: "we’ve got to get back in the business of having warriors join our military."

President Trump issued an executive order on January 27—his first week back in office—banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military. The order aims to eliminate race- and sex-based discrimination and restore meritocracy within the armed forces. Despite this mandate, Restoration claims McGhee’s nomination indicates ongoing resistance to these reforms at senior command levels.