In the 250th year of the United States Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, the American military is struggling to restore readiness, morale, and the warrior spirit. Our armed forces have been stretched thin the past couple of decades, but the last four years the core values, principles, and traditions of the profession of arms have been largely eviscerated by a merciless infusion of silly progressive ideas and even perverted fetishes into military policy. Leftists traded the noble notions of selfless service for depraved selfish indulgence.

The enduring hallmarks of American military service are undying devotion to duty and unwavering willingness to sacrifice self in defense of the Constitution and country. For two and half centuries, the U.S. military defended our shores and fought our wars to preserve freedom and protect national security. These are lofty and vital goals, but the common man embraces them, because he understands the importance of defending our homeland for his family and saving his comrades on the battlefield with the only commodity he has: the sovereignty to offer his selfless service, and if necessary, as President Lincoln described it, “that last full measure of devotion.”

The American military has a rich history of heroic acts and gallant sacrifice by individual Americans. They crossed a frigid Delaware River to defeat the British against all odds, they fought an epic battle of brother against brother at Gettysburg to settle a national moral dispute, they died in gruesome trench warfare on the battlefields of France, they stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima and Normandy, they held the frozen Chosin Reservoir, they suffered the fevered jungles of Vietnam, and braved the desolate battlefields of the Middle East. Never taking territory or tribute, they fought for freedom for Americans, our allies, and strangers.

Juxtapose this venerable tradition of selfless service against the new novelty from the Biden administration of catering to the perverted desires and whims of individuals over achieving and supporting military missions. Instead of focusing on the mission, Biden’s military focused on appeasing transgender service members interminable needs for hormone treatments, invasive surgeries, and endless therapy. None of that enhances military readiness but rather indulges the selfish wishes of depraved unwell individuals.

For most of American military history, our armed forces were singly and solely focused on mission accomplishment. Anything that does not advance military readiness or mission accomplishment is extraneous and unnecessary and therefore discarded.

The concept is that every service member must be perennially prepared to do their jobs, so that the American military can reign death and destruction on the enemy at a moment’s notice whenever necessary. Anything that removes a member from duty negatively impacts readiness. If the sole radar technician in any unit becomes incapacitated, that member must be replaced, so even pregnancy or gender reassignment surgery has dramatic adverse effects on readiness.

It may seem callous, but unit readiness is more important than any individual’s needs. The military provides excellent dental care not because they want service members to have good teeth, but it's because they don’t want any member unavailable on the battlefield due to a cavity.

Transgender service members have myriad more mental and physical requirements than normal members. So called “gender affirming” care requires much more attention and support than normal health requirements, but further, transgender members suffer from “gender dysphoria” which is a mental illness – they are unstable. That alone disqualifies them from military service, but also their increased physical treatments and mental therapy makes them utterly incompatible with military service. Thankfully, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is ending this madness.

Hegseth was appointed to restore the warrior ethos to our military. America must cultivate each new generation of military service members from the ranks of wholesome youth ready to be part of something bigger than self. The self-absorbed narcissists demanding we participate in their debauched fantasies only detract from military readiness; they won’t be missed.

Ending the special treatment of societal misfits and renewing a commitment to excellence are already showing results with dramatically rebounding military recruiting numbers reversing dangerously low levels of the past few years. Young people yearn for goodness and truth, and are naturally attracted to excellence—merit trumps mediocrity. Contrary to the “participation trophy” crowd, young people want to pursue their aspirations and achieve their dreams.

With another Memorial Day upon us to honor the sacrifices of generations of American military service members, it is long overdue to end this senseless social experiment. The selfish indulgence of pathetic perversions mocks the memory of our selfless military heroes.

Millions of American fighting men and women have worn the nation’s cloth honorably and served selflessly to save a buddy on the battlefield, protect their families and homes, defend the nation, and uphold the Constitution. None asked for special dispensation or privilege. Often, they served under the harshest circumstances, but they only sought the opportunity to serve ready to sacrifice if necessary. They simply wanted to do a job and fulfill a hallowed obligation.

We can never commemorate their service enough nor can we ever honor their sacrifice enough, but we should always remember their selflessness. And the best way to esteem our fallen is to allow the next generation to follow in their footsteps with the same opportunity to serve with dignity and integrity. Don’t let their memory be mocked with tawdry trendy nonsense. This Memorial Day honor them by upholding the principles and traditions that made the American military the best in the world. God bless America and all who have served.

“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24).

Pete Riehm is a Navy Veteran, conservative activist, and columnist in south Alabama. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.