Thursday, March 04, 2010

Diversity Thursday II: Electric Boogaloo

Ahhh yes, the gift that keep on giving.

So, what is the big push for our warfare centers? How are we telling the role that the Navy has in national security to top opinion makers? What, you think a warfare center would want to educate opinion makers about "warfare?"
Silly Sailor - professionalism is for amateurs.
Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona hosted the Pentagon's top diversity management and equal opportunity official Feb. 25, marking the first visit by the DoD office to the Navy's command responsible for independent assessment.

Senior Executive Clarence Johnson, principal director of DoD's Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, met with Corona's senior leadership, diversity council, African-American special emphasis program group, and addressed an overflow audience of employees. Johnson stressed his visit is part of his initiative to "take the Pentagon to the people" for diversity observances.

"Diversity means collecting all the strengths, all the attributes to help execute our [DoD] mission," said Johnson, a retired active duty Air Force colonel and head of the Pentagon's diversity and equal opportunity office for the last seven years. "Diversity is a key component to mission readiness because it gives each individual an opportunity to put his or her strengths forward to support the mission."

Johnson also said the Navy is leading the armed services in diversity, and its top leaders are making a considerable effort to ensure the maritime service reflects the diversity of America.

"Right now, the Navy has the best overall diversity programs of all the services," said Johnson. "What [Chief of Naval Operations] Adm. Roughead is doing, and what [former CNO, now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] Adm. Mullen did before him, is a huge commitment to diversity. The other services are trying to emulate what the Navy's doing."
...
"From what I've seen here, Corona is a model for everyone to follow. I see a program where senior leadership is engaged in personnel management from cradle to grave," said Johnson. "I see connections to NSBE [National Society of Black Engineers] to HENAAC [Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference] to LULAC [League of United Latin American Citizens] and many other organizations that focus on advocating for women and minorities."
Yes, it is great that the Navy's leaderships orientate themselves with openly sectarian and racially focused organizations. History shows us that nations and militaries that try real hard to keep its members focused on what makes them different, as opposed to building a unified and focused team, is what makes them stronger. Just repeat that enough, and it will be true!

Oh, and who here beside me likes it when a commissioned officer starts to sound like their Soviet counterpart being interviewed by the press in from of Comrade Political Officer?
"Without question, diversity makes our Navy stronger," said Kadowaki. "And the different experiences, backgrounds and talents of our Sailors and civilians helps us be an unbeatable team. It allows the development and execution of new ideas to ensure the Navy advances with the nation's demographic changes and technological challenges."
Kind of makes you want to take a bath, doesn't it?
And as an extra bonus from the What Fresh Hell is This file; besides the fact that we have another example of "One Navy; Four Uniforms" and wearing camo nowhere near combat - what is wrong with this picture?


Feel free to make it a Caption Contest in comments if you wish - the body language in this picture is a classic.

11 comments:

Tom Mowry said...

Just have to comment on the camoflage, what exactly are we hiding from at sea that we need camoflage for anyway?

Combat Wombat said...

Ok Alex-What is the only apparent diversity is in the uniforms for $1000?

(Perhaps this is a teachable moment, and all the attendees are getting re-educated?)

LT B said...

Scared white guys wearing cammies to hide from their shame and angst at being white.  Hah! 

DeltaBravo said...

Combat Wombat got my idea first... yeah, it looks like Der Kommissar is giving another diversity briefing... maybe telling them all not to pick on the people wearing the Blue Paint Cammies.
They look bored, and the guy with the big coffee... well, it doesn't look like the java jolt is workin'...

CDR Salamander said...

As a recividist Staff Weenie - you know what I noticed?  Look how thick the binder is in front of them. 

That is a VIP full color hard copy (yikes..look at all that blue ink) of the PPT that is being given.  One slide per page.  That look like a 50-70 page brief depending on the paper they are using.

What is the TAD (Travel Costs+Per Diem) cost per page of PPT for that briefing.  Oh, add the cost of support as well.  I hope it was good.

Combat Wombat said...

See, this is why we don't like telecommuting. On the internet, nobody can hear you snore... >:o

G-man said...

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=51544

The BEYA?  What the hell?  Tired of this crap.  How can they stand up and spout things like this?  How does an award specifically targeted toward ONE race not be viewed by all others as anything other than blatant racism?

Roughead's family had to be slave owners way back when and he is making personal reparations.
With all due respect.

JimmyMac said...

A "caption contest" for three empty chairs?  After all, they are in state-of-art, highest bidder, camoflage - we can't see them!

ActusRhesus said...

I actually agree that diversity makes for a stronger fleet.  My issue, however is how they define "diversity".

There is no question that having people from a wealth of backgrounds and experiences wides the pool of ideas and will lead to better brainstorming and better solutions.  However, you can't take 50 people from the exact same type of background who just happen to be the same gender or the same color and then say "look! Diversity".

The kid from appalacia who grew up in a one room cabin is also diverse...but you don't get a plus to your diversity tracker for him now, do you?

Fast Nav said...

Maybe I'm on crack, but does the MCPON have two warfare pins above the US NAVY label, vice the one above and one below that's authorized?

or is that a MCPON thing?

Expeditionary All The Way said...

The one w/the large coffee is the Force Master Chief for NECC...our dirt sailors.  He's wearing the right color.