Congresssional Black Caucus Meets with the Secretary of the Navy, Marine Corps Commandant and Chief of Naval Operations to Revisit Increasing...

Press Release

CONGRESSSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS MEETS WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT AND CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS TO REVISIT INCREASING DIVERSITY WITHIN U.S. MILITARY'S SENIOR OFFICER RANKS

Washington, DC - Members of the CBC met today with Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter, Marine Corps Commandant General James T. Conway, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent, the highest ranking enlisted Marine, and other senior military officers to discuss increasing diversity representation in the senior officer ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces.

"In order for our military to reflect the diversity and depth of our nation, there must be an earnest commitment to not only recruiting minorities but to the advancement and promotion of African American officers," said Congresswoman Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. "The CBC pledges our support to the armed services to achieve a well-rounded and balanced military."

Presently the longest tenured Member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) has spearheaded a series of meetings between senior civilian and military leadership from the Pentagon and the CBC. Meek also serves as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

"For our military to most effectively protect our interests at home and abroad, they must represent America and be led by a diverse group of Americans. Junior minority officers climbing the ranks need to look up the chain of command and see familiar faces serving as mentors and role models," said Congressman Meek. "Today's meeting demonstrates the seriousness to which the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps value the importance of diversity within their leadership ranks. I look forward to conducting future sessions with the other military branches."

Marine Corps Commandant Conway noted that in 1988, 70 general officers were serving in the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), none of whom were minorities. Nearly twenty years later, of the 83 general officers in the USMC, eight were minorities including one female.

The meeting was held over breakfast and hosted by Commandant Conway at the Home of the Commandants in Washington, DC. Members of the CBC attending included Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), CBCF Chairman Kendrick B. Meek, Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL), Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christensen (D-VI), Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA), Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA).

The Members of Congress spoke about the importance of establishing Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs in high schools requesting an ROTC presence on campus and creating a mentorship program for minority junior officers to guide them in making career choices within the military. Additionally, they spoke about working with the military academies and the Armed Forces leadership to increase the presence of minority junior officers pursuing leadership positions in the military.

According to data compiled by the Pentagon, as of August 2007 there are 207,174 Commissioned Officers in the United States Military - 17,491 are African American, 51 are African American Flag Officers, 1 is an African American Four Star, 5,194 are African American females, and 3 are African American female Flag Officers. There are 10,291 Hispanic American Commissioned Officers, 4 are Flag Officers, and 1 is a Four Star. Additionally, there are 743 African Americans, along with 29 multi-race members, at the Colonel/Captain level, compared with 10,142 Caucasians.

On October 2nd, Members of the CBC met at the Pentagon to first discuss this issue with Mr. Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Mr. David Chu, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel, Admiral Patrick Walsh, Vice Chief of the Navy, and General Duncan McNabb, Vice Chief of the Air Force.

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