After nearly four decades of military service, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., retired from the Army National Guard in 2019 as a brigadier general after 39 years of service. Perry cited a shift towards progressivism in the military as a reason for his retirement. He expressed concerns about policies such as gender reassignment and the focus on issues like 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' sexual harassment, and equal opportunity, which he felt detracted from the military's core mission of lethality and readiness.
Perry, a former fighter pilot who had commanded units in deployments to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq, highlighted recruitment challenges that have led to the smallest U.S. fighting force since before World War II. He mentioned that many members were leaving the military due to a perceived misalignment of values.
