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Army worried too many white men lead combat units, racial diversity lacking
The Washington Times ^ | September 11, 2014 | Douglas Ernst

Posted on 09/11/2014 6:49:12 PM PDT by jazusamo

U.S. Army sociologists are worried that a lack of black officers leading its combat troops will have detrimental effect on minorities and lead to fewer black officers in top leadership posts.

“The issue exists. The leadership is aware of it,” Brig. Gen. Ronald Lewis told USA Today on Thursday. “The leadership does have an action plan in place. And it’s complicated.”

The Army reports that only 10 percent of its active-duty officers are black, which has contributed to its dearth of black officers leading soldiers with occupational specialties in infantry, armor and artillery.

“It certainly is a problem for several reasons,” Col. Irving Smith, director of sociology at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, told USA Today. “First we are a public institution. And as a public institution we certainly have more of a responsibility to our nation than a private company to reflect it...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blackofficers; minorities; socialexperiments; usarmy
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To: jazusamo

Quotas for minorities have been in place for over 40 years. The Black population of the United States has historically been about 12 percent. Achieving this percentage among Army officers has proven to be difficult due to the annoying requirements for commissioned officers without criminal records and who can qualify for security clearances. The Army, as well as the other services, has been selecting less than the best qualified officers for promotion and command for many years. The problem remains and will remain as a reflection of society in general.

I have worked for several Black officers who were selected for their rank and jobs based on their race rather than their ability and potential. I spent a good chunk of my career carrying these guys. Some were both incompetent and jerks which made for a very unpleasant command climate. One guy I worked for, while completely incompetent, was one of the finest human beings that I have ever known, a wonderful man but beyond saving as a soldier. His wife was an even better person. I am a better person for having known them, but thank God the Russians never decided to attack while he was in command.

The Army cannot fix the defects in our culture and unfortunately the issues of the interaction of Black culture within our larger cultural structure cannot be fixed by some regulation or affirmative action program


61 posted on 09/11/2014 7:38:47 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: centurion316

How many Latino, Asian, and native american officers have we got?

I recommend promotion by quota.

And, that 51% of our combat officers be women.

And 2% be gay.

And some other percentage be transgender.

OK?

Military abilities can come last in importance...


62 posted on 09/11/2014 7:42:05 PM PDT by CondorFlight (I)
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To: molson209

> No need for the best person for the job , it works for Obama and his Administration

I agree. The best person for the job should have the job. The diversity crap is going to get us slaughtered on the battlefield. All for some pretended caring and fairness for all BS about someone they don’t even know...


63 posted on 09/11/2014 7:42:41 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Mr Ramsbotham

That was totally uncalled for.

Thank you.


64 posted on 09/11/2014 7:44:34 PM PDT by West Texas Chuck (Times change, places change, people stay the same.)
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To: Jet Jaguar
U.S. Army sociologists are worried

Problem Identified. The Army and the military in general needs to be purged of social engineers.

65 posted on 09/11/2014 7:44:56 PM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: jazusamo

Guess it’s time for all the military academies and ROTC to impose racial quotas as a standard for admission. What a military we’d have with that.


66 posted on 09/11/2014 7:45:33 PM PDT by Ranger Warrior
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To: jazusamo

OMG!!!!!!!!! “White men”!!! What has this world come to? We’re doomed! Especially if they’re STRAIGHT, WHITE MEN!!!


67 posted on 09/11/2014 7:47:19 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Don't just stand there! Help fight political correctness!)
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To: TADSLOS

If sports don’t have affirmative action for players then the military should not have it for troops


68 posted on 09/11/2014 7:47:40 PM PDT by morphing libertarian
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To: jazusamo
Dear U.S. Army, in case the people in DC have forgotten their Basic Leadership 101: You LEAD people and you MANAGE things. Notice that race has nothing to do with this. The last thing to do is apply affirmative action quotas to combat arms. If you do, you are going to kill a lot of good soldiers. Guess what? If your actions result in this, troopers have ways of getting you back.

There was one particularly dangerous and arrogant battalion commander for the 4th Bn, 47th Inf. Regt., 9th Inf. Div. in Vietnam. He was a loudmouth and a coward whose idea was leading his battalion from a command chopper at 3,000 feet. Guess what? The troops in contact figured that 5.56 or 7.62 bullet holes in aluminum look pretty much alike. So, his command chopper was always getting flak patches. The troops had a fund for the first guy that could shoot him down. This is the real world and not some exercise a West Point. There are no second place winners here.

69 posted on 09/11/2014 7:48:06 PM PDT by MasterGunner01
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To: rdcbn

exactly but Obama will do anything to change that


70 posted on 09/11/2014 7:51:41 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: Travis McGee

have they not already done this by replacing officers with homosexuals


71 posted on 09/11/2014 7:53:32 PM PDT by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: Viennacon

You left out the

Man today, female tomorrow dependent on how I feel when I get up in the morning.


72 posted on 09/11/2014 7:55:14 PM PDT by xrmusn ((6/98) If you can't convince them, confuse them.)
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To: jazusamo

if the CO is an Allen West, then hell yes! If the CO is an Obama, then hell no!


73 posted on 09/11/2014 7:56:48 PM PDT by Chgogal (Obama "hung the SEALs out to dry, basically exposed them like a set of dog balls..." CMH)
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To: DannyTN
At least they’ve gone back to race. I thought they were focused on making sure sexual perverts were in charge.

As sure as the sun rises in the morning, we will get to that point... soon I suspect.

74 posted on 09/11/2014 7:57:08 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Cementjungle

OOps, forgot, the military schools and ROTC would have to include a fair number of LGBT enrollees.


75 posted on 09/11/2014 7:58:13 PM PDT by Ranger Warrior
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To: jazusamo

I sure knew a lot of highly capable black leaders in Vietnam. But we were drafting back then.


76 posted on 09/11/2014 7:58:26 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: CondorFlight
I recommend promotion by quota.

Your recommendation is many years late, it has been in place for a long time.

77 posted on 09/11/2014 8:00:05 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: Perdogg

I recently read that Drill Instructors are majority black.


78 posted on 09/11/2014 8:12:45 PM PDT by kalee
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To: jazusamo

Ann Coulter’s piece:

Would IT Kill You TO Hire More Blacks? Yes!
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter082814.php3

IN this piece she notes how hiring quotas lower the standards which affect our safety. This also happened when the Navy pushed for women combat pilots. The very first one they pushed through dies in a carrier landing. To her credit, she veered off to save those on ship.


79 posted on 09/11/2014 8:16:09 PM PDT by rey
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To: Viennacon
"We’ve already destroyed the military, why not go all the way. Just fire ANYONE who is even remotely competent."

They have been doing it day by day.

80 posted on 09/11/2014 8:16:40 PM PDT by sport
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