…By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
Retired Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill, known for killing Osama bin Laden, criticized the U.S. military’s digital ambassador program, which features a drag queen performer, Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, as an active service ambassador.
O’Neill believes that the military should focus on more traditional aspects and be “ferocious, not fabulous.”
The Navy is currently facing a recruitment crisis and is expected to be 8,000 people short of its recruitment goals for the year.
Kelley, who is non-binary and goes by the stage name Harpy Daniels, was one of five digital ambassadors in the program, which ran from October 2022 to March 2023.
The program was designed to reach a wide range of potential candidates for military recruitment.
O’Neill believes that more emphasis should be placed on traditional aspects of the military such as nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, and the best infantry in the world, the United States Marine Corps.
Kelley has received negative attention, with some people saying that their inclusion in the recruitment campaign is counterproductive.
However, in response to the criticism, Kelley said, “Haters only hate when you are winning.”
O’Neill believes that the military should not be a place where people express themselves but rather a place where members work together as part of a team.
The digital ambassador program ended in March 2023, and a Navy spokesman confirmed that it was a pilot program.
Kelley’s TikTok account, where they have been sharing drag performances on Navy ships for years, has a large following.
Kelley has also thanked their followers and asked them to support the other four ambassadors who were part of the program.
In the Navy, anyone has the ability to lead and make a difference, regardless of rank, race, gender, sexual orientation, or background, according to Kelley.
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