Need to diversify a ‘continuing concern’
Defense chief asks services to get more minorities to join
Defense chief wants forces to reflect the nation.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter calls the need to diversify the armed forces a “continuing concern” and asked the services to find a way to fix the problem, said a senior Defense official with knowledge of the issue who was not authorized to speak publicly and insisted on anonymity.
The lack of diversity in special operations forces stems largely from the choices young recruits make when they join, not overt bias, the official said.
A paper by Army Col. Michael Copenhaver, written for the U.S. Army’s War College, makes a practical argument for greater diversity among special operations forces: “U.S. special operators have long acknowledged they face challenges mixing in with foreign populations because they look so American.”
THE STATE OF DIVERSITY
In general, the military has a much more diverse force than key components such as special operations. African Americans made up 17% of the 1.3 millionmember armed forces in 2013, according to a recent Pentagon report. Whites made up slightly more than 69%.
Diversity erodes with the breakdown from enlisted to officer ranks. Blacks make up 18.5% of the enlisted troops but only 9.4% of the officer corps. The lack of diversity becomes more evident the further up the ranks you climb. USA TODAY has reported that key commands in the Army and Air Force, the traditional stepping stones for senior leadership posts, are largely staffed by white officers.
Among special operators, the divide is especially stark. Each of the services provided data to USA TODAY.
For the Navy SEALs, the problem extends beyond the officer corps into the enlisted ranks. Of its enlisted men, 45 SEALs are black, or about 2% of the 2,242 members of its elite force. There are more SEALs — 99, or 4% of the enlisted force — who are Native Americans or Alaska natives.
Among Army Green Berets, 85% of 1,494 officers are white and 4.5% are black. The 5,947 enlisted Green Berets are 86% white and 5.4% black.
For the Air Force’s pararescue jumpers, highly trained airmen who search for missing troops, only one of 166 is black, or 0.6% of that force.
Other commando fields, including the Army’s civil affairs and psychological operations fields, the Navy’s small boat crews and Air Force loadmasters, have greater percentages of minority participation that are still below their representation in the military as a whole.
The Marines refused to provide how many special operators they have. Instead, they provided a pie chart showing their racial breakdown. Black officers and enlisted Marines make up about 1% of their special operations forces. CAUSES FOR DIVERSITY LACK Some of the same forces that steer young African Americans from Army combat specialties such as infantry and artillery — the breeding ground for the service’s leadership — appear to be in play among special operators, the senior Defense official said.
To address the problem, the Army urges black officers to consider combat specialties, the official said. Promotion boards for officers give greater weight to diversity, and mentoring of minority officers is emphasized.
The lack of minorities in special operations fields can perpetuate itself, Copenhaver said. Many troops follow the lead of their parents into the services, what he calls “family lineage.” If there are few role models among commandos, fewer minority troops are apt to be drawn to the fields, he said.
To reverse the trend, the SEALs have had extensive outreach efforts into minority communities, Copenhaver said. At least for now, the data provided by the Navy show limited results of that effort.
Copenhaver said the military should focus its recruiting efforts on the capabilities it needs among special operators. Diversity will follow. For instance, recruiting experts in languages and cultures of the Middle East, Asia and Africa would alter the makeup of special operators.
“Let’s bring in a capability,” Copenhaver said. “Along with that, inherently you gain the diversity.”
The services will more actively recruit minority candidates for special operations forces, the senior official said. Pentagon leaders say greater diversity will improve core missions for commandos, including training of indigenous forces and civil affairs. Recruiters will look out for “extraordinarily adaptable” candidates.
“U.S. special operators have long acknowledged they face challenges mixing in with foreign populations because they look so American.”
Army Col. Michael Copenhaver