The Department of Defense uncovered approximately $80 million in funds that it says are wasted on diversity and climate programs. Some programs included “strengthening American democracy” and studying climate hazards in the African Sahel.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said that these expenditures are not the military’s core functions and are distractions from its primary mission.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized the need to address waste, redundancies and personnel in headquarters, stating that the Defense Department’s primary focus should be deterring and winning wars.
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The Department of Defense (DOD) says the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has uncovered approximately $80 million in funds that it considers to be wasted. In a video message, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell outlined some of the findings.
“In the Air Force, $1.9 million was spent on holistic diversity, equity and inclusion transformation and training; $6 million went to the University of Montana to ‘strengthen American democracy by bridging divides’; $3.5 million by the Defense Human Resources Activity to support DEI groups; and $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study the ‘social and institutional detriments of vulnerability and resilience to climate hazards in [the] African Sahel.'”
Parnell said these expenditures are not core military functions and serve as distractions from the military’s primary mission. He also indicated that more cuts are expected in the coming days.
In February, while in Germany, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters he welcomed DOGE.
“There are waste, redundancies and headcounts in headquarters that need to be addressed. There’s just no doubt. Look at a lot of the climate programs that have been pursued at the Defense Department. The Defense Department is not in the business of climate change, solving the global thermostat. We’re in the business of deterring and winning wars.”
On Sunday, March 2, Hegseth posted on X that his department would comply with DOGE’s review processes, which include mandatory reports from civilian workers explaining their accomplishments from the previous week.
