Social Marines to reinstate photos in promotion boards to promote diversity

Lord Coke

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This is pretty glaring that the Marines are admitting that the express purpose of having photos is so that they can make race based decisions. Things have changed a lot since I was in the Marines. Every Marine is green. Or at least that how it used to be. The Day Walker Sergeant Major Vines never needed diversity to become the head of SOI. I'll tell you that right now.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/ne...h7SnAlGGxb_Sk8qMBHTSpOOb_koMwahuUEaqIFeygOQLE

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland ― The Navy and Marine Corps may soon require that official photos be submitted for promotion boards, after photo removal led to decreased diversity, senior leaders for both services said Tuesday.

In July 2020 then Secretary of Defense Mark Esper required all services within the Department of Defense to remove the photograph requirement in an effort to eliminate unconscious bias from the promotion board process.


Navy Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr., the chief of Naval personnel, said that comparing data over the past five years of one-star boards the Navy saw a decrease in diversity promotions when the photograph requirement was removed.

“I think we should consider reinstating photos in selection boards, we got the data,” Nowell said during a panel on inclusion and diversity as a force multiplier at the 2021 Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

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“It’s a meritocracy, we’re only going to pick the best of the best, but we’re very clear with our language ...that we want them to consider diversity across all areas. Right?” Nowell said. “And therefore ... I think having a clear picture on this just makes it easier. So actually our data show that it would support adding photos back in.”

Marine Brig. Gen. A.T. Williamson, director of Marine Corps manpower plans and policy division, echoed Nowell’s comments, noting that removing photos may have disadvantaged the board’s ability to promote diversity in the top ranks.

The Corps eliminated required photographs from the promotion process in September 2020 and in June extended that policy to most tattoo photos, which the Corps has required since 2015.


Williamson said the Corps is continuing to collect data from the most recent board season, but early indicators show that eliminating the photograph requirement has decreased diversity in the promotion system.

Both leaders said increased diversity was critical to mission readiness and the ability to get the job done.

“The American people need to know their military service reflects those they support and defend,” Williamson said, referring to what he called the “ethical imperative” to simply do the right thing in terms of diversity.

He added that the “operational imperative” may be the most important reason to create a diverse force, pointing out how complex the current and future battlefield will be.

“It’s challenging, it is fully of problem sets that one group, that one team are not going to be able to solve alone. We need to be able to open up the diversity of thought, of experience of background to try and attract people who are going to help us solve those very complex problems.

Changing the photo policy based on evidence may be one way the Corps follows through on policies that make a difference rather than simply taking action, Williamson said.


The Marine Corps is currently conducting a survey to see if there is bias in the promotion process and if so where it is.

“If we find out that there is disparities within the way we do business within the service we need to be intellectually curious enough to ask why and figure out why and then figure out what we need to do to,” fix it, Williamson said.
 
after photo removal led to decreased diversity,
...
It’s a meritocracy, we’re only going to pick the best of the best, but we’re very clear with our language ...that we want them to consider diversity across all areas.

...

The Marine Corps is currently conducting a survey to see if there is bias in the promotion process and if so where it is.

<JagsKiddingMe>
 
Well I'm a handsome fuck so I wouldn't mind if I was still in.
 
Ironic considering the U.S. Military was one of the first U.S. government organizations to desegregate and move to "Adhere to the highest levels of democracy." Or whatever that line was.
 
If the US is a racist country how could it possibly be that removing photos resulted in LESS diversity.

That makes no sense.
 
Why not just use service number? Avoid any issues with prejudice.
The prejudice is in picking the best candidates without taking into account the privilege that allowed them to become the best candidates.
 
Everyone make sure you do your patriotic duty and call Dan Crenshaw’s hot line to report this.
 
The prejudice is in picking the best candidates without taking into account the privilege that allowed them to become the best candidates.
Yeah but the stakes are pretty high so maybe we should just go with the best candidate on this one
 
I was in the Marines. Every Marine is green. Or at least that how it used to be.
WTF are you talking about, seeing a pic for promotion was always the normal way of doing it.

In July 2020 then Secretary of Defense Mark Esper required all services within the Department of Defense to remove the photograph requirement in an effort to eliminate unconscious bias from the promotion board process.
They just started doing the no photo thing last year so if anything they are going to the old system of promotion that u liked which includes a picture.


I agree with the navy/marines, if they found diversity helps out in the field much more than simply who is the highest rated guy, then it makes sense to use this system.


I mean when promotions are between a guys/gals at the same level with little to no difference between "scores" then I dont see anything wrong with factoring in diversity...specially if it benifits the militaries goals.
 
The prejudice is in picking the best candidates without taking into account the privilege that allowed them to become the best candidates.

Nope. There's no privilege to joining the military. You get tested into a rate that you are qualified for, and you are judged based on your ability to do your job, get better at it, and how much extra stuff you do in your off-duty hours. It's the closest thing to a pure meritocracy that we have. Making award boards choose who advances based on appearance really cheapens the idea that anyone can move up the ranks quickly with hard work and discipline.

Boards are going to hate this and the policy will be overturned in the near future. Especially if another war breaks out soon.
 
doesnt matter. You can identify the race of most people purely off their name in nearly 3/4ths of cases.
Not a lot of white guys named Mekhlai Robbins going up for board you know?

the biggest penalty to promotions i recall was the junior enlisted guys who had diverse career paths. If you were an USAF weather weenie and you did regular forecasting, you had a ridiculous advantage over the army assigned cadre who had to play field grunt half their time instead sitting in an office cramming CDC's.
 
No issue at all with promoting diversity, it's good to have a diverse group in any situation really.

I have a MAJOR issue, with enforcing diversity, however.
 
Why not just use service number? Avoid any issues with prejudice.

This. It may not "work" to increase diversity if the white and Asian applicants legitimately have their shit together more, which they probably do. But it does actually work at preventing prejudice. It's the whole "not all unequal outcomes are the result of discrimination" nugget again that many lefties can't seem to grasp.
 
America is obsessed with diversity over excellence.
 
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