Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk pilot Jo Ellis listened attentively to the breaking news the evening of Jan. 29 that a helicopter had struck an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all aboard both aircraft. The next day, Ellis, who is transgender, was alarmed to hear Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say that diversity initiatives had undermined air safety at the Pentagon, hinting that they had played a role in the midair collision. But it wasn't until