I spent last week at the Diversity Leadership Conference at West Point. It was a great event on an issue that I believe to be very critical to the success of our Army as well as our country; DIVERSITY.

Our country is a true melting pot. This is a country which was founded on immigration. For many centuries, people have migrated to this land with hopes of a better and brighter future. Nomadic tribes crossed the Bering Strait into what is now North America, Europeans crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower in hopes of religious freedom, and many countries have had periods of mass immigration into the United States to achieve what has become known as the “American Dream.”

The United States is a very diverse country and therefore our organizations should be diverse as well. It is important for our Army to look like our country. In some eyes “Affirmative Action” is viewed as reverse discrimination where some individuals are granted opportunities over others due to their race or ethnicity even if another individual may be more qualified. I am not here to argue if that is the case in some organizations and whether or not I believe in such actions because we do not have this problem in the Army. Every applicant is held to the same standards and must meet our qualifications regardless of race, gender, creed or color.

However, this does not mean that every ethnicity is equally represented in our Army. Although the Army continues to promote diversity, I believe there are larger issues at hand which may be inhibiting successfully diversifying our Army. Education is a major inhibitor from achieving our diversity goals. The fact remains that some communities fail to prepare students for success after High School. For example, an African American male in an unnamed Midwestern city has a 20% chance of receiving his High School diploma. This number is both alarming and astounding.

Many urban school districts consistently underperform when compared to their suburban and rural counterparts. Now believe me, I understand that both social and economic factors also contribute greatly to these problems. In many conversations I have pointed out that our urban areas have been dilapidating for decades now. Cities were developed in this nation mainly due to the Industrial Revolution, where workers flocked to cities to find jobs. During these times blue collar workers were able to provide for their families on the wages they received. Now, however, it is increasingly more difficult for urban residents to live at or above the poverty line. This is no longer the Industrial Age and not only are jobs very hard to come by, but they require higher levels of education and/or expertise. Instead, we have families living in sub-standard conditions, many parents are forced to work multiple jobs, and our children suffer the consequences (emotionally, socially, morally, etc. ).

We are the richest country in the world. Our Gross National Product is three times the size of both China and Japan which are 2nd and 3rd respectively. Yet our High School graduation rate is behind all of the following countries:
 

Denmark 96%
Japan 93%
Poland 92%
Germany 92%
Finland 91%
Switzerland 88%
Czech Republic 85%
France 85%
Belgium 79%
Ireland 76%
Slovakia 73%
United States 72%

It is evident that we are at a crossroads and this is something that we as a country need to ensure we remain focused. Our Army is committed to ensuring our country remains a cut above the rest. This is not a reference to our war fighting capabilities as one would think, but instead a reference on how dedicated our senior leaders are to tackling this education issue. In addition to the education benefits that Soldiers receive, the Army is also involved in over 70 Elementary and High School education programs nationwide, including a FREE online SAT/ACT prep course called March2Success.
 

Communities who are not vested in their Army may not fully understand the educational benefits that our veterans are currently eligible to receive. These communities may also not understand the benefits Soldiers who are currently serving have available to them. Education is an extremely important aspect of the continued success of this great nation. Our Army understands the value of education and encourages Soldiers to continue their education. Through military service a Soldier can receive an education with no or minimal costs to him or her. (Quick Fact: More than 29% of students agree that they have more student debt than they are comfortable with (FALL 08 Student Monitor). Last year the Army had 4,000 Soldiers receive degrees, an average of 11 degrees per day. This is an impressive feat for any organization.

Furthermore, if a community is not vested in its Army, then it is hard for that community to fully appreciate all of the wonderful things the Army has to offer. These benefits include developing disciplined young men and women with strong morals who live the Army Values. Many of these young men and women will return to their communities after their service obligation is complete and be valuable members of their communities. Applicants even have the option of signing up for the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) incentive during their initial enlistment. This incentive ensures that Soldiers are guaranteed an interview with one of the more than 450 companies (Many of which are Fortune rated companies) who have signed up to be a PaYS partner. These companies include both AT&T and Verizon, Anhueser-Busch and many, many more. PaYS is available to both enlisted applicants as well as ROTC cadets.
 

We, as Soldiers, receive leadership training which is not only valuable to large corporations, but is highly sought after. If you do not believe this statement then Google “Fortune Magazine Army Cover” and you will see how Corporate America is actively seeking Soldiers to fill their own ranks. We have been building the “Soldier” brand for a long time and many former Soldiers are currently reaping the benefits.

Although we continue to fight diversity issues and bridge our gaps in education, there is much more work that needs to be done. We have made great strides in recent years have come a very long way from past decades. However, the fight continues and we will remain diligent. We want and need every community, race, and ethnicity to understand the benefits of military service. We need to focus on providing a proper and comprehensive education to future generations. We have obstacles in our path but it is our job to find pragmatic solutions to these issues in order to ensure our continued success as a nation.

On the Statue of Liberty it states: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The world has done so and we have prospered. Now we must continue the tradition of prosperity that our ancestors have laid before us.

Army Strong.