Esper announces internal review on diversity in military

The Pentagon is conducting an internal review on diversity and inclusion in the military amid nationwide protests over racial injustice, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday.

In a video message to the department posted online, Esper said he was establishing a “Defense Board on Diversity and Inclusion in the Military” that will conduct a six-month study to “develop concrete, actionable recommendations to increase racial diversity and ensure equal opportunity across all ranks, and especially in the officer corps.”

Bias & prejudice have no place in our military, or in our country. Prejudices – whether visible or invisible, conscious or unconscious—remain a burden to many. They hold back the diversity of the force, representation in our officer ranks, and experiences of our minority members. pic.twitter.com/uhScevfv9y

— @EsperDoD (@EsperDoD) June 18, 2020

In addition, Esper said he has ordered civilian and uniformed leadership at the Pentagon to bring him recommendations in two weeks that can be implemented immediately.

He also said he will set up a “Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion in the Armed Services” that will continue the work of the board he established when it is done with its initial six-month study.

“My goal is to effect an enterprisewide, organizational and cultural shift,” Esper said. “The actions I have identified today are just the first steps, but there is more to be done. Over the next few months, I will be working across the department to identify additional ways to foster lasting change, from recruiting, career track selection and retention; to assignments, schools and promotions; to military justice and everything in between and beyond.”

Esper also said everyone in the department should “reflect upon the issues of race, bias and inequality in our ranks, and have the tough, candid discussions with your superiors, your peers and your troops that this issue demands.”

The military has been grappling with racial issues amid nationwide protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as after criticism of the Pentagon’s involvement in President Trump’s response to the protests.

Esper was criticized for calling the protests a “battle space,” a choice of words he later said he regretted. Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley were also criticized for accompanying Trump on a photo-op to a church after federal law enforcement forcefully cleared largely peaceful protesters from the area. Milley later apologized for participating in the photo-op.

Several military leaders have spoken out about racial inequality in the military in recent weeks and have taken some steps to address the issue. The Air Force, for example, announced an inspector general investigation into racial disparities in its justice system.

The nationwide protests have also reignited debates about Confederate symbols and names on military property. The Marine Corps formalized a ban on the Confederate battle flag, and the Navy has said it would follow suit. U.S. Forces Korea also announced a ban on the flag.

The Army said it was open to renaming its bases named after Confederate leaders, but Trump shot down the idea days later. The Senate’s version of the annual defense policy bill, though, would require the Pentagon to rename property that is named after Confederates such as the Army bases.