Diversity and Inclusion Final Board Report

 Dec. 18, 2020

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Today, Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller announces the release of the Department of Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion Report, “Recommendations to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. Military”, and its resulting implementation plan.

“The Diversity and Inclusion board reviewed recommendations from various team members across the Department’s total force and, ultimately, provided recommendations to the Acting Secretary intended to bolster the Department’s diversity and inclusion efforts. The most effective fighting force necessitates inclusion and full engagement of all Department assets—foremost, every member of the Total Force.  Diversity and inclusion make us a stronger, better and more effective military.” said Jonathan Hoffman, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson.

On July 15, 2020, the DoD Board on Diversity and Inclusion embarked on the important task of identifying recommendations to improve the Department's diversity and inclusion and broaden equal opportunity for all members of the Armed Forces. Chaired by the Secretary of the Air Force, with the support of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Service members from each branch of the Military Services and the National Guard Bureau, the Board evaluated military diversity and inclusion policies, programs, and processes; reviewed industry best practices; and assessed pertinent data and reports.

This effort culminated in the Department of Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion Report: Recommendations to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the US Military.

The 15 recommendations are as follows:

• Recommendation 1: Update Recruiting Content to Represent All Service Members.
• Recommendation 2: Develop and Publish a Data-Driven Accessions and Retention Strategy.
• Recommendation 3: Increase the Pool of Qualified Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Enrollment, Scholarship, and Commission Applicants from Minority Serving Institutions.
• Recommendation 4: Remove Aptitude Test Barriers That Adversely Impact Diversity.
• Recommendation 5: Evaluate Demographic Trends in Performance Evaluations.
• Recommendation 6: Develop Diverse Pools of Qualified Candidates for Nominative Positions.
• Recommendation 7: Establish a Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence.
• Recommendation 8: Standardize a DoD Human Resources Data System for Diversity and Inclusion Analysis.
• Recommendation 9: Offer Internships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields in Conjunction with Junior ROTC Programs.
• Recommendation 10: Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Organizational Structure.
• Recommendation 11: Develop a DoD Diversity and Inclusion Mobile Application and Website.
• Recommendation 12: Incorporate the Value of Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion into Leadership and Professionalism Curricula.
• Recommendation 13: Increase Transparency of Promotion Selections and Career Opportunities.
• Recommendation 14: Prohibit Extremist or Hate Group Activity.
• Recommendation 15: Update the Uniform Code of Military Justice to Address Extremist Activity.

Following the review of the 15 recommendations from the Board, the Acting Secretary directed specific actions towards the complete implementation of each of the recommendations.

The Department of Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion Report: Recommendations to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. Military can be found here.

The memo on Actions to Improve Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. Military, dated Dec. 17, 2020, can be found here.