Rep. Scott Perry Resigns from Army Due to 'Woke' Policies

After nearly four decades of service, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) retired from the Army over objections to the military's progressive policies, including the gender reassignment policy.

After 39 years of honorable service in the Army National Guard, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) made the difficult decision to retire in 2019 due to his growing concerns over the military's embrace of "woke" policies.

Perry, a brigadier general and former fighter pilot, commanded units in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013.

Rep. Scott Perry Resigns from Army Due to 'Woke' Policies

"I kind of slowly saw it coming," Perry told Fox News Digital. "The culminating point for me is when my boss came to me and said, ‘You're going to be in charge of enforcing the gender reassignment policy in the command.’"

Perry, who believes the military should focus on combat readiness rather than social issues, found himself at odds with the Pentagon's increasing emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

Rep. Scott Perry Resigns from Army Due to 'Woke' Policies

"The military is an organization where you take orders," he said. "But I decided that that was an order I wasn't willing to take. I told my boss I was going to retire because the military no longer reflected my values."

Perry says he is not alone in leaving due to the politically charged environment. "Many good members were just leaving because they no longer felt like the military reflected their values," he said.

Rep. Scott Perry Resigns from Army Due to 'Woke' Policies

Perry's resignation reflects the growing concerns within the military over the impact of "woke" policies on recruitment and readiness. In recent years, the U.S. fighting force has shrunk to its smallest size since before World War II.

"They act like they don't know what the problem is, but to me, it's as clear as the nose on my face," Perry said. "The military used to be the great equalizer of societal differences."

Rep. Scott Perry Resigns from Army Due to 'Woke' Policies

Perry criticized military leaders for spending exorbitant amounts on weapons systems that often fail to produce results, while neglecting critical areas such as readiness.

"Anybody that's worn the uniform has seen the horrific ways — I've been in places where we're throwing connexes of new equipment out. The American taxpayer wants to support their members that wear the uniform and potentially sacrifice their life, but I think that the military as an organization has been willing to abuse that privilege," he said.

A recent report by the Pentagon's top testing office found that less than a third of the nation's F-35 jets are ready for combat at any given moment.

"What is the cost of that? I would like to see our military leaders address those kinds of things," Perry said.

Perry argues that while the national debt is a national security issue, it cannot be used as an excuse to underfund the military.

"You know guys wearing flip-flops, using motorboats or whooping our tail in the Gulf of Aden," said Perry. "So with all due respect, when you can buy a $10,000 drone, and we've got to service that with a $25,000 missile, something isn’t adding up here to me."