Weeks after the killing of George Floyd sparked national unrest over racial discrimination, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has introduced a new Defense board for diversity.
The "Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion" will conduct a "six-month sprint to develop concrete, actionable recommendations to increase racial diversity and ensure equal opportunity across all ranks & in the officer corps," Esper said in a Twitter thread published Thursday.
At the end of the year, the DoD will establish the permanent Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity & Inclusion in the Armed Services using insights gleaned by the "sprint" board over the next six months.
More immediately, Esper says he has directed "civilian and uniformed leadership of the Pentagon" to bring him "good" ideas within the next two weeks that can be implemented "NOW."
For example, Esper suggested removing photos from promotion, school, and command selection boards saying "this is something I pushed as secretary of the Army as we worked to overhaul our personnel system."
Esper served as secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.
"The United States military has long embraced diversity and inclusion as a strength," Esper wrote. "We must lead again. In that spirit, I invite all of you to share with me your good ideas. I want to hear from you."
Esper's announcement comes weeks after senior military leadership from every branch released their own statements admonishing Floyd's killing in Minneapolis and pushing for racial education and justice. The Air Force's Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth Wright, the second African American to hold the position in the branch's short history, was the first of these leaders to speak out.
The military has its own lessons to learn about racial justice, leaders say
"Bias and prejudice have no place in our military, or in our country," Esper added. "Prejudices – whether visible or invisible, conscious or unconscious—remain a burden to many. They hold back the diversity of the force, representation in our officer ranks, and experiences of our minority members."
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Reach Elizabeth Howe on Twitter @ECBHowe.
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