Those goals might fit the USAF, but they are contraindicated for the USMC and the Army combat Arms. Those groups recruit from a candidate pool that is more male, more rural, more white, more Southern/Western and more likely to have a family tradition of service.
The persistent use of the one drop rule is annoying, especially by people "dedicated to destroying the bad, old ways". Then again, as Steve Sailer has noted, no TV show has the most common interracial couple of a Hispanic male and White female since "I Love Lucy" went off the air. Paying attention to changes in America is too hard for our "elites".
The first thing that jumped out at me on the map of counties with the highest recruitment rates was to notice where those counties are not. The map looked very much like those 2020 maps of Trumpland, and the obverse of the Hillary Archipeligo. How in the world a set of diversity goals can be met when the raw material to create them are so heavily skewed against the creation of diversity? That the top brass of the Air & Space Forces walked right past that question, probably didn't even notice it, is a sure measure of how weak that military leadership has become.
"These goals are aspirational, aligning resources to invest in our long-term objectives and will not be used in any manner that undermines our merit-based processes. You are directed to develop a diversity and inclusion outreach plan aimed at achieving these goals no later than 30 September 2022." What a couple of strangely worded sentences. Aspirational, in the legal sense, implies the hope of attainment without confering an obligation. Yet, the following sentence implies that attainment is a requirement and not an option. Achievement of said aims must come solely from a merit-based process. Has racial identity been redefined as a meritorious quality? Is the first sentence implying that those acting on said plan cannot shift around resources to implement any changes in the plan that is developed? Just weird.
Given that it's Diversity Thursday, I think it's only proper to mention that Oceangate Expeditions made it corporate policy to not hire 50 year old plus white males. Hmmm? What pool of talent chock full of 50 year old white males did they avoid? Deep sea experience with years of demanding hard service and high tech and engineering skills?
"a goal is a quota is a TERMINAL cancer" fixed it for ya, and China does not give a flipping F--- about the USAF "diversity is our strength" Orwellian mottos.
Unless they wish to fly or do something that is unique to the military? Very few of the POC they seek will join as long they are the flavor of the month.
Interesting that the powers at be have decided to denigrate and insult the heritage and ancestors of the areas who have and contribute the most to our military.
Very good job on pointing out the frankly, insidiously creepy continuing usage of a "one drop rule" by many supposed opponents of racist policy. I am mixed race and do, reasonably owing to the circumstances of my raising, primarily identify with my Indian side, but were I to have children with a white woman, I am certain they would appear, and be, white, and the idea that they would be considered anything but is ludicrous (though not as ludicrous as the idea that whatever they would be considered would have any impact on their outcomes in the workforce, military, or college admissions process).
The military, by its very nature, is among the most colorblind institutions in America. One finds those from all walks of life, which is for the best, and the reality of the situation is that considering color at all is detrimental to the mission.
Re: Sal’s comment -“ If you don’t pick the best, your organization will underperform. If your military underperforms, more of your people will die, and your nation is more likely to lose its battles and its wars. Nations that do that on a regular basis decline and disaggregate.”
I firmly believe that many in DC don’t care about the first two outcomes, and would largely prefer the latter outcome, as long as they remain rich and in power. Prove me wrong.
Math says the AF's Black/African American goal is impossible. Assuming an officer requires a college degree, and that the AF will target Blacks in college for recruitment.
That works out to 4.4% of all Blacks/African Americans
And 0.6 % of the total population. Rough numbers, but the fact remains it is not a recruitment problem, it is an education achievement problem AND a recruitment problem.
The recruitment pool is too small, there are more limited paths to commissioning and the flagship institution which the SECAF and Congress can manage the quotas for, is lagging their goal.
The Marines in our unit had a rotating advancement for many Marines, back then 50+ years ago you had a quota to meet, so many promotions men were promoted by race then, the civil rights was big.
They promoted men on Monday, wrote them up on Wednesday and demoted them on Friday.
Or in the case of one Marine we will call SNAFU He was always promoted in the field, not really a promotion no pay or stripes, then back in the barracks he would revert to PFC.
He was the most slovenly dressed and laid back Marine I ever met, but damn if he wasn't the best field Marine I ever met.
Now a great many by race quota promotions turned many of those Marines around and they became good leaders and performers.
It all worked out as Action beat regulations every time.
No issue with reaching out to communities that may not have historically served. And it's understandable that senior leadership would want some metrics to go along with assessing success/failure of such efforts. If there are unnecessary barriers to get recruits that have no basis in logic or sound reasoning... again logical to get them off the table. In the end, we want members who desire and are able to serve. But if the ultimate intent is to game the system to ensure a gender, race and/or ethnic proportional representation, then a merit-based system is going to take a back seat because leadership will argue that loftier and more "inclusive" goals serve a greater good. Good luck with getting traditional geographic centers of gravity for military recruiting signing on for this approach to doing business.
What a joke.
Those goals might fit the USAF, but they are contraindicated for the USMC and the Army combat Arms. Those groups recruit from a candidate pool that is more male, more rural, more white, more Southern/Western and more likely to have a family tradition of service.
The persistent use of the one drop rule is annoying, especially by people "dedicated to destroying the bad, old ways". Then again, as Steve Sailer has noted, no TV show has the most common interracial couple of a Hispanic male and White female since "I Love Lucy" went off the air. Paying attention to changes in America is too hard for our "elites".
The first thing that jumped out at me on the map of counties with the highest recruitment rates was to notice where those counties are not. The map looked very much like those 2020 maps of Trumpland, and the obverse of the Hillary Archipeligo. How in the world a set of diversity goals can be met when the raw material to create them are so heavily skewed against the creation of diversity? That the top brass of the Air & Space Forces walked right past that question, probably didn't even notice it, is a sure measure of how weak that military leadership has become.
"These goals are aspirational, aligning resources to invest in our long-term objectives and will not be used in any manner that undermines our merit-based processes. You are directed to develop a diversity and inclusion outreach plan aimed at achieving these goals no later than 30 September 2022." What a couple of strangely worded sentences. Aspirational, in the legal sense, implies the hope of attainment without confering an obligation. Yet, the following sentence implies that attainment is a requirement and not an option. Achievement of said aims must come solely from a merit-based process. Has racial identity been redefined as a meritorious quality? Is the first sentence implying that those acting on said plan cannot shift around resources to implement any changes in the plan that is developed? Just weird.
Given that it's Diversity Thursday, I think it's only proper to mention that Oceangate Expeditions made it corporate policy to not hire 50 year old plus white males. Hmmm? What pool of talent chock full of 50 year old white males did they avoid? Deep sea experience with years of demanding hard service and high tech and engineering skills?
"a goal is a quota is a TERMINAL cancer" fixed it for ya, and China does not give a flipping F--- about the USAF "diversity is our strength" Orwellian mottos.
Unless they wish to fly or do something that is unique to the military? Very few of the POC they seek will join as long they are the flavor of the month.
Plus? Many new options exist.
For American https://aacadetacademy.com/program-cost/
For Southwest
https://careers.southwestair.com/D225University
Lots of free ride scholarships for POC pilot candidates too.
Interesting that the powers at be have decided to denigrate and insult the heritage and ancestors of the areas who have and contribute the most to our military.
That NYT map. We are not recruiting in the most populated cities. Bizarre.
Very good job on pointing out the frankly, insidiously creepy continuing usage of a "one drop rule" by many supposed opponents of racist policy. I am mixed race and do, reasonably owing to the circumstances of my raising, primarily identify with my Indian side, but were I to have children with a white woman, I am certain they would appear, and be, white, and the idea that they would be considered anything but is ludicrous (though not as ludicrous as the idea that whatever they would be considered would have any impact on their outcomes in the workforce, military, or college admissions process).
The military, by its very nature, is among the most colorblind institutions in America. One finds those from all walks of life, which is for the best, and the reality of the situation is that considering color at all is detrimental to the mission.
No diverse nation has ever survived.
Re: Sal’s comment -“ If you don’t pick the best, your organization will underperform. If your military underperforms, more of your people will die, and your nation is more likely to lose its battles and its wars. Nations that do that on a regular basis decline and disaggregate.”
I firmly believe that many in DC don’t care about the first two outcomes, and would largely prefer the latter outcome, as long as they remain rich and in power. Prove me wrong.
Math says the AF's Black/African American goal is impossible. Assuming an officer requires a college degree, and that the AF will target Blacks in college for recruitment.
Here are the numbers:
331.4 Million Americans (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/POP010220)
Of which 13.6% or ~45.1 million are Black (same source), which is their goal
But only 1.99 million of Blacks are enrolled in undergraduate programs circa 2020 (https://pnpi.org/factsheets/black-students/)
That works out to 4.4% of all Blacks/African Americans
And 0.6 % of the total population. Rough numbers, but the fact remains it is not a recruitment problem, it is an education achievement problem AND a recruitment problem.
There are only 10 HBCU with AF ROTC programs (https://www.afrotc.com/college-locator/) out of 106 HBCU (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historically_black_colleges_and_universities).
Further USAFA only has 5.8% of its cadet population listed as Black/African American (285 cadets) and Congress has a great deal of power over who is appointed. (https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/united-states-air-force-academy/student-life/diversity/#ethnic_diversity).
The recruitment pool is too small, there are more limited paths to commissioning and the flagship institution which the SECAF and Congress can manage the quotas for, is lagging their goal.
The Marines in our unit had a rotating advancement for many Marines, back then 50+ years ago you had a quota to meet, so many promotions men were promoted by race then, the civil rights was big.
They promoted men on Monday, wrote them up on Wednesday and demoted them on Friday.
Or in the case of one Marine we will call SNAFU He was always promoted in the field, not really a promotion no pay or stripes, then back in the barracks he would revert to PFC.
He was the most slovenly dressed and laid back Marine I ever met, but damn if he wasn't the best field Marine I ever met.
Now a great many by race quota promotions turned many of those Marines around and they became good leaders and performers.
It all worked out as Action beat regulations every time.
No issue with reaching out to communities that may not have historically served. And it's understandable that senior leadership would want some metrics to go along with assessing success/failure of such efforts. If there are unnecessary barriers to get recruits that have no basis in logic or sound reasoning... again logical to get them off the table. In the end, we want members who desire and are able to serve. But if the ultimate intent is to game the system to ensure a gender, race and/or ethnic proportional representation, then a merit-based system is going to take a back seat because leadership will argue that loftier and more "inclusive" goals serve a greater good. Good luck with getting traditional geographic centers of gravity for military recruiting signing on for this approach to doing business.