Buzzword Bingo!
As those of us who have been on active duty know, the Navy has two separate chains of command: Operational, and Administrative. The Chief of Naval Operations is the senior Sailor in the Administrative chain of command, and although he's an Admiral, he doesn't actually command any warfighting assets. That's probably a good thing; otherwise he might be distracted from writing papers full of humorous buzzwords like his "new" Diversity Policy:
Diversity has made our Nation and Navy stronger. To derive the most from that diversity, every individual, military or civilian, must be encouraged and enabled to reach his or her full potential. They must be inspired and empowered to attain the most senior levels of leadership. That empowerment today is unleashed by involved, thoughtful, proactive, and enlightened leaders. As leaders, we are all entrusted with the duty and responsibility to set and live the example by creating an environment where every individual’s contribution is valued and respected. Future empowerment is cultivated by that same leadership and mentorship and an active commitment to attracting and recruiting the very best. We will foster an environment that respects the individual’s worth based on his or her performance regardless of race, gender, or creed.Reading this over, some questions come to my mind: Is the CNO implying that our old policy was not to do those things? Why doesn't he ever define "diversity"? Is "mentorship" really a word? Why does he even waste the ink to say "opportunites (will be) available to all in an equal manner" when he knows that there are certain communities that women just aren't going to be admitted to in the foreseeable future?
As the Chief of Naval Operations, I will lead diversity initiatives in the Navy. I challenge all who serve to do the same through leadership, mentorship, service, and example. Our involved, proactive leadership will create and enable an environment and a Total Workforce that values uniqueness, different perspectives, and talent. Workforce character and professionalism is a priority in our Navy. Accordingly, we will support a culture of professional and personal development ensuring our people are trained and educated to accomplish our mission, with opportunities available to all in an equal manner.
We must not be locked in time. As leaders, we must anticipate and embrace the demographic changes of tomorrow, and build a Navy that always reflects our Country’s make up. We must lead in ways that will continue to draw men and women to service to our Country and to our Navy. Diversity of thoughts, ideas, and competencies of our people, keeps our Navy strong, and empowers the protection of the very freedoms and opportunities we enjoy each and every day. The vast talent, diversity, and experience of our citizens will continue to be our strength, and will ensure our Navy’s relevance and our Nation’s security and prosperity.
As we enhance and empower our diversity, we will remain a global force for peace, and epitomize the ideals that make our Navy great and our Nation the best hope of freedom. We will sustain our force through the fair, equal, and ethical treatment of every member of the United States Navy.
19 Comments:
YAWN!!!!
Sounds like he plagiarized something Zumwalt said.
3/06/2008 8:52 AM
Diversity in the Navy. What a great concept. Oh ya, that is unless your Gay.
3/06/2008 9:06 AM
this is just the bull**** stuff an admiral does to justify his paycheck. You're right that the policy was already in place and this is the same old rhetoric that will get recycled in another couple years. Until there is no seperation between the opportunities between officer and enlisted, women are allowed on submarines, and you can be openly gay, this is just about using big words and calling it a day in the life of an admiral.
3/06/2008 10:22 AM
Actually he is saying this stuff because he has too. In fact he didn't even write it. Trust me, I know these things.
3/06/2008 11:44 AM
Oh, I believe that he didn't write it. I'm sure it was forced out of his mouth to meet some point the Navy wants him to say. My point is the message contradicts the reality, which is sad.
3/06/2008 12:54 PM
So if the Chief of Naval Operations has nothing to do with operating, why isn’t he called the Chief of Naval Administration?
3/06/2008 1:07 PM
Sounds to me like he is preparing the Navy to have openly serving gays should Clinton or Obama become President.
3/06/2008 2:22 PM
1) Our country is a melting pot. No argument there. However, why does our fighting force have to represent the broad demographics that compose our nation's population? Shouldn't we simply put our best war fighters in the position to fight regardless of their race, creed, etc?
2) What happens if a certain targeted demographic is given the full opportunities and simply comes up short? Do we continue to promote and provide further opportunity to people who simply can't make the grade as well as others who aren't in the target demographics?
3) Is the Navy in the business of fighting wars or being composed of people who "reflect our Country’s make up[?]"
Personally, I could care less if the Navy is diverse. What I care about is that we can win battles, protect our interests abroad, and be the deterrent force we once were. If that means our entire force is made up of Hispanic, gay women, fine. Save the diversity bullshit for the Europeans.
3/06/2008 7:01 PM
Hey, is this the new secret weapon that I've been hearing about? How do you fire him at the enemy?
3/06/2008 7:41 PM
Bubblehead - is this what you had in mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgeLY7CL5IE
3/06/2008 11:43 PM
300...This is Sparta!
3/07/2008 3:02 AM
cab driver, saying that one demographic may not be up to task is a slippery slope. You have to make sure that that is in fact the case and that policy isn't subverting the demographic in someway.
Conversely the Navy has to have the courage to do what is best for national defence and not what is politically correct.
When I was in NNPS (class 9604), the nuke field was recently open to women. I think that NNPS was ill prepared for the transition. There were some women in my class who were outstanding, however at the time most I think were fudged past the screening process. As a result, many were rolled back several times. One female, I remember, had been rolled back 5 times. Any male got one roll back (maybe) and then they were washed out.
Furthermore, the command was far more forgiving of disciplinary lapses to those new female nukes than the males.
For example, there were two students caught fooling around in a parked car in the student parking lot. The male was busted down and washed out and the female was yelled at and I think given extra duty days.
I think the navy's policy really undermined those female nukes who did deserve to graduate.
3/07/2008 9:35 AM
When Zumwalt took on racial discrimination, he got the Navy off the foul course it had been on for centuries. He did something. The race riots aboard ship and the UPWARD seminars etc. showed just how bad things really were. The opposition to Zumwalt in the senior officer (and senior enlisted) ranks stemmed largely from unspoken (sometimes spoken) racial prejudice endemic in parts of our Navy culture at the time.
OTOH, this fatuous blather now is ... fatuous blather. On the good side, Gary Roughhead is a fine officer and the right guy to be CNO. This meaningless mutter with his name on it was probably issued by his EA.
3/08/2008 5:00 AM
"We must not be locked in time."
That diversity policy is. Do these people actually spend time on the mess decks? Don't they know this makes things harder instead of easier when it comes to building a unified team? Harupph.
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