Thursday, February 11, 2010

Diversity Thursday

I don't know - where did they get that idea from?
The recently re-established Okinawa chapter of the National Naval Officers' Association held a prayer breakfast at Camp Kinser's Surfside Club recently to recognize National African American History Month and reinforce the organization's diversity goals.

The NNOA is an organization that supports the naval services in the
development of a diverse officer corps through recruitment, retention, and career enhancement, according to the NNOA mission statement.

Okinawa chapter members used the event to promote their goal of becoming a more diverse organization, according to Maj. Chester McMillon, president of the Okinawa chapter.
The national chapter has struggled with a public misconception that the NNOA is a black-only organization.

Founded in 1972, NNOA's original mission statement pledged a commitment to the recruitment and retention of
minority officers.

The organization brought together minority officers to mentor each other and provide professional development, but its mission statement was amended in 2003.

"A strong membership has to be a diverse membership, not just
racially but also in rank as well," McMillon said

The organization seeks to gain more junior officers and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy as well as senior officers interested in mentorship, McMillon said.

Navy Cmdr. Brenda BradleyDavila, member of the national and local NNOA chapters, was a key speaker at the breakfast.

"This chapter must not become a 'social group' like so many organizations," BradleyDavila said. "It must stay focused on playing a major role in the community."

Local chapter members plan to continue extending invitations to potential new members to participate in community events.

"The strength of our Corps is its diversity, and we're trying to
bring out that diversity as much as we can," McMillon said.
OK, not just African-American, but other minorities? I think that is what the Chaplain (serving everyone on the Navy USMC team it sound like, ahem).

Let's see - who would that leave out?

As for the reputation she is worried about, I'll let the picture, as the Diversity Bullies taught me, tell the story.



As a final note, the NNOA and other such affinity organizations are at their core sectarian, divisive, and yes, founded on a racialist theory in their core construct.

There should be no effort to separate, promote, or otherwise divide our Sailors on the basis of their DNA and/or mix of it - but we do it every day, promoting division instead of unity.

The fact we do that is a blight on our character and a shame on everyone involved. Of course, your opinion may differ, but I wonder if the good Chaplain has ever had anyone point out the other side of her sectarian advocacy?

Good luck with that, methinks.

10 comments:

ActusRhesus said...

how about we just seek out the best and the brightest and let the chips fall where they may? I'm feeling pretty shiny these days.

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

NOAA is also racailly biased?

steve osc ret said...

My eyes are closed.  I'm trying, but i just don't see the association recruiting me into their midst.

AW1 Tim said...

From the article:  "<span>"The strength of our Corps is its diversity, and we're trying to bring out that diversity as much as we can," McMillon said."</span>

  That's absolute BS. The strength of the Marine Corps is it's tradition and core values and shared experience among all Marines.  Diversity plays no part in the ability of a Marine to complete a mission.

   Attitudes like this are a cancer, growing and spreading through our military and must be removed no matter the cost, or we risk losing what sets us apart from society.

MR T's Haircut said...

? I dont see much diversity here.... 

Over-the-hill-spook said...

It appears that the good CDR's comments were made in 2007.

Fast-forward to 2009 and what do we have? Why, her promotion to CAPT, of course.
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=45876

SSDD.

LT B said...

Don't confuse NNOA and NOAA.  NOAA is busy trying to suck up space for a Global Warming Office.  The announcement of the new office was made the day the blizzard hit DC.  The NNOA talks about diversity with the room filled with only one race.  Both are ironic, but not the same. :)

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

Early this morning, someone, who will remain nameless misspelled NNOA is NOAA just below the photo.  He since has corrected that, and now the poor badger looks like he is a silly. a mammal being oppressed by an amphibian.

DM05 said...

NNOA should be disbanded. Racist, immoral, and irrelevant. Go away.

Quartermaster said...

I thought Badgers ate Salamanders. I know they are long, relative to height, and have short legs, but I assure you the resemblance to a Wiener Dog is only superficial. You have nothing to fear from said Phibian :-P .