Too Many Whites, Men Leading the Military?
 

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/0...litary-030711/


WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is too white and too male at the top and needs to change recruiting and promotion policies and lift its ban on women in combat, an independent report for Congress said Monday.

Seventy-seven percent of senior officers in the active-duty military are white, while only 8 percent are black, 5 percent are Hispanic and 16 percent are women, the report by an independent panel said, quoting data from September 2008.

One barrier that keeps women from the highest ranks is their inability to serve in combat units. Promotion and job opportunities have favored those with battlefield leadership credentials.

The report ordered by Congress in 2009 calls for greater diversity in the military’s leadership so it will better reflect the racial, ethnic and gender mix in the armed forces and in American society.

Efforts over the years to develop a more equal opportunity military have increased the number of women and racial and ethnic minorities in the ranks of leadership. But, the report said, “despite undeniable successes ... the armed forces have not yet succeeded in developing a continuing stream of leaders who are as diverse as the nation they serve.”

“This problem will only become more acute as the racial, ethnic and cultural makeup of the United States continues to change,” said the report from the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, whose more than two dozen members included current and former military personnel as well as businessmen and other civilians.

Having military brass that better mirrors the nation can inspire future recruits and help create trust among the general population, the commission said.

Among recommendations is that the military eliminate policies that exclude women from combat units, phasing in additional career fields and units that they can be assigned to as long as they are qualified. A 1994 combat exclusion policy bans women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level even though women have for years served in combat situations.

“If you look at today’s battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s not like it was in the Cold War, when we had a defined battlefield,” retired Air Force Gen. Lester L. Lyles, the commission’s chairman, said in an interview. “Women serve — and they lead — military security, military police units, air defense units, intelligence units, all of which have to be right there with combat veterans in order to do the job appropriately.”

Because they are technically attached to, but not assigned to, combat units, they don’t get credit for being in combat arms, something important for promotion to the most senior ranks.

Lyles said the commission consulted a panel of enlisted women on the issue. “I didn’t hear, ‘Rah, rah, we want to be in combat,’“ Lyles said. “But I also didn’t hear, ‘We don’t want to be in combat.’ What they want is an equal opportunity to serve where their skills allow them to serve.”

Stretching the definition of diversity, the report also said the military must harness people with a greater range of skills and backgrounds in, for instance, cyber systems, languages and cultural knowledge to be able to operate in an era of new threats and to collaborate with international partners and others.

Hell lets start just giving the shit away then just to make everything more fair. What ever happened to having to earn it?

If Political Correctness/Diversity wasn't such a plague on this country, I would laugh at this. Whoever wrote this report should be on the front lines with a combat leader who has no leadership ability, but meets the polically correct, diversity based criteria. If that were to happen, there would be no follow up report because they and all around them would be dead within days if not minutes...

I think I have a solution.
1. For the next 12 months instruct ALL recruiting elements to only allow non-white males and females to enlist or recieve a commission.
2. All new personnel (i.e. non white males and females) will only be allowed to serve in Infantry units as 11 series Soldiers.
3. All graduates of BCT and IOBC will then go directly to Afghanistan and Iraq for a minimum of two years.

This should level the playing field and take the burden of responsibility off of the "white men."

FFS

Let's take that another step and revive the draft; male whites excluded.

Hmmm....I like the way you think. Selective service requirement for all non white male citizens. No college loans or aid for anyone who did not fill out their paperwork.

The draft never should have ended, these kids today have no clue about anything other than their Ipod/texting and wearing their jenns at the knees. Even if they hated the military the eyes and ears were opened to see what it takes to be a free country with respect for the flag and those that fought for it. Rank was earned along with respect after completing the required course not before, color/sex had no place in the line as we were all equal. The PC shit is destroying this country and it needs to go where all shit ends up, along with the Lib thinking politicians. Let men be men and women be women and serve the purpose that we were created for.

I like that.:cool:

I absolutely concur..............;)

Big Teddy :munchin

They are just trying to push more affirmitive action on the military.


delta 6 was defiently right when he said this

Hard work
 

What ever happened to hard work? What happened to days where you were reconizedfor doing your job and showing leadership skills? I am willing to give every one a fair shot but you need to earn it. This making everyone happy attitude is going to hurt the Army

FWIW, the MLDC's draft report was discussed in a previous PS.COM thread located here.

The report itself is available here. The report's executive summary is here. The press release is here.

I truly wonder if Ms. Jelinek read any of the three carefully.

Personally I've always thought we should take a page (Heh, heh) from Heinlein's book Starship Troopers.

RE Post #7 - I disagree.

Richard :munchin

lol That's a shocker.:D