AFCEA DC Luncheon Series: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

 In December 2020 the Secretary of Defense released a memo subject being Actions to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the military. Diversity and inclusion in the Department are moral imperatives - to ensure every member of the Total Force is treated with dignity and respect. Mission readiness and efficacy at strategic and tactical levels are increased when every member of the team is valued and afforded an opportunity to contribute to the effective defense of the Nation. As the international security environment continues to evolve, the United States confronts complex operational domains and unconventional tactics, all of which require a resilient and agile Joint Force. Demographic representation, accompanied by the Department's unwavering commitment to fairness, transparency, and leadership, is essential to achieving a mission-ready fighting force in the 21st Century. I am, and we all must be, dedicated to honoring the women and men who serve this country by ensuring them the same promotion and developmental opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Diversity of thought and perspective ensures our strategic advantage on the global stage.

• What actions have been implemented to identify and, where applicable, address any potential barriers to developing racially/ethnically diverse pools of candidates for consideration by non-statutory selection boards or selecting officials for nominative assignments, which lead to positions in senior leadership?
• How do diversity efforts within the DoD at every level work with formal promotion boards and procedures? There is a very rigid promotion process within the DoD, some would argue that this rigorous and formal process helps promote diversity by reducing the potential for discrimination. Is that the case?
• How has the disclosure of demographic information about promotion selection rates improved transparency in career management processes and reinforce DoD' s focus on achieving equity across all grades?
• How do diversity efforts affect recruitment? What positive impacts are there, if any? What negative impacts are there, if any? Recruitment is a serious challenge these days, it would seem like broadening the pool of applicants would be important to the DoD.
• There is a DoD-wide data-driven accessions and retention strategy for officers and enlisted personnel to achieve a talent pipeline that reflects the diversity of the current and future eligible population from U.S. Census projections. What is that data revealing?

Join AFCEA DC on November 16th, 2022 to hear DoD leaders discuss ways to realize a vision for a more inclusive organization that respects and honors the contributions of a workforce with diverse backgrounds.