Thursday, October 27, 2011

Diversity Thursday

VADM J.M. Byrd, Directory, Navy Staff - with all due respect - you are being made the fool.

For the readers, on 20 OCT 2011 he issued an EEO policy statement you can read in full here. In it, he stated the following,
As the Equal Employment Opportunity/Equal Opportunity (EEO.DO) Officer for the OPNAV staff, I am committed to fostering a work environment free of discrimination and/or discriminatory behavior by ensuring:
  • EEO for all employees and applicants, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or genetics.
  • Employee freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field.
OK, I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he will try to do that for the OPNAV Staff and will tell the Diversity Bullies to pack sand when they want to do an "Accountability Survey" ... ahem ... but is he content to stand by and let the rest of the Department of the Navy continue its discriminatory practices wholesale?

Annapolis proudly continues to consider self-identified ethnicity & race as part of admissions criteria. Recruiting, Navy and USMC is full of discriminatory practices simply to reach quotas.

Level playing field? Our mentor programs are based on direct discrimination based on race and ethnicity - and we proudly acclaim that we give special attention and consideration based on a few selected races and ethnicities - that on its face creates an unfair and unlevel playing field.

So, what is it? As it stands from the cheap seats, either VADM Byrd is standing athwart the Diversity Industry yelling "STOP," he is sadly naive, or he is putting out a memo that is laughable as it has no basis on reality.

Which is it?

32 comments:

Byron said...

<span>Ah.... Is there a reason why this position needs a three star? </span>

Anonymous said...

Yes Byron...simply stated, because Army and Air Force do!  Once upon a time, the position was an O-6 (circa 1997) and then became an O-7, O-8, and now an O-9.  Doesn't even qualify for "grade creep"....more like "grade leap"!

Byron said...

Ah...dreams of being appointed the DoD "HTCIC Head Testicle Cutter In Charge". I'd be swinging a dull blade around DoD and any star that wasn't deeply concerned with the "warheads on foreheads" concept or even once said the words "transformational" or diverse around me.

Therapist 1 said...

As the Beatles aptly sung, the "Fool On the Hill" is there and quite visible.  I think, however, we all know what he really means.

AOD said...

I am going to be the lone wolf on the hill and say that he is taking a stand.  When I square this with the CNO's message traffic to the fleet upon his asusmption of office, I believe that a message is being sent to Navy leaders:  course correction.  Here's the catch:  you cannot be subtle with the Diversity Industry.  Why?  Too much money is at stake here.  Too many folks are making their bones crying about the lack of this color or the lack of that color, or the need to make color the number 1 factor in ascencions and admissions.  You have to attack, you cannot just issue rhumb lines.  The diversity industry will cross your rhumb lines and plod right into shoal water every single time.

AOD said...

Byron, this is a collateral duty.  THIS IS NOT HIS ONLY JOB.

AOD said...

And personally I like that the position gets 3 star attention.  This is federal law.  It requires leadership taking personal ownership of the problem.  If someone is going to take a stand against the diversity industry and actually effect change, he's going to need some stars, not just silver oak leaves and a retired ID....

no offense or anything, CDR Sal..

steeljawscribe said...

I was there (OPNAV staff) when the transition went from 1-star to 3-star. 
The Director, Navy Staff (DNS) is given charge for the day-to-day running of an often fractuous staff to include coordination inhouse (internal OPNAV and CNO staff), between OPNAV and SECNAV and externally between Navy w/JS and other Services.  It often required a certain amount of horsepower to get/keep pkgs moving, especially when the 3-star N-codes didn't lke something and wanted to sit on it or prone to wandering in to CNO's office with an uncoordinated pkg which could be embarassing at best and lethal to a program at worst.  In the post-baron era, that was an increasingly common scenario and hence, DNS was raised to an equivalent 3-star position to ensure timely coord. across the staff.
Which still, didn't always happen as DNS' office became soemthing of a roadblock in and of itself when the AOs there (many at that time of whom were not warfare qual'd O-4's and O-5s) would not forward staff coord pkgs unless they understood every little detail - which led on many occasions to an O-6 providing OJT on a variety of topics ranging from pol-mil, to nuclear to link architecture in order to get his pkgs into the front office...
w/r, SJS 

cdrsalamander said...

AOD,
No problem at all.  That is one of the reasons DivThu exists.  Make the Diversity Industry facts a pain to senior leadership by bringing its fetid mass out for all to see.

Based on the feedback I've received; so far so good.

Byron said...

"ron, this is a collateral duty.  THIS IS NOT HIS ONLY JOB."

Then one would hope it's the job he least likes.

As for the push-back against the Diversity Industry, I'll believe it when I see the Naval personnel getting assigned to a ship and the civilians drawing unemployment.

steeljawscribe said...

Better yet - instead of drawing unemployment off my tax dollars, how 'bout "gainfully re-employed -- in another industry"?  Something green, like solid waste reclamation?
w/r, SJS

MR T's Haircut said...

The way I deal with the continued STUPIDITY of the Diversity liars is to harken to a time when Leaders were men of principle, and existed for one thing.... to win wars.

my inspiration of the day to mitigate the diversity tripe is:
LT GEN Troy H Middleton

Grumpy Old Ham said...

<span>Something green, like solid waste reclamation?</span>

I saw what you did there.  +100 Internets to you, sir...

C-dore 14 said...

"EEO...regardless of...genetics"  WTH does that mean?

Byron said...

Them that used to be one thing and are now another? 8-)

cdrsalamander said...

Whatever the GS-15 with a PhD in Diversity Studies tells him it means.  That is part of the problem; the Diversity Industry has so corrupted the use of the English language that you never really know what they mean.  Words mean things - fuzzy words mean whatever is politically needed at a moment in time. 

Steel City said...

One statement caught my eye...in a memo dated 20 Oct 11, it states, "Harassment, of any sort, will not be tolerated in the workplace...".  Strange statement.  Was harassment considered acceptable prior to 20 Oct 11?

AOD said...

or Howlin Mad Smith!

Actus Rhesus said...

O6 creeping to a three star for no apparent reason but for "the other service branches do it..."

sounds like the JAG.

Anonymous said...

wonder if it's payback for the ethics investigation...

Number Cruncher said...

<p><span>WOW!! An EEO statement that doesn’t use the word “diversity.” However it gets off-set by the diversity accession “comprehensive review” done by the Naval Academy (BTW, what has happened to Professor Fleming?) and the observations of Marine <span> </span>OSOs. I’d like to think that this is a “shot across the bow statement” by new management that diversity-engineering days are changing for both the institution and for those enlisted and officers who want to be treated and promoted as professionals based on who they are and not what they are. I hope it isn’t just boilerplate. It is time to have an adult discussion on EEO in our Naval Services.<span>  </span>We have to move from the simplistic approach of bean-counting and focus on quality not quantity. We can’t fix the underlying problems that have been created in our society that impact our recruiting base. We can however set the right high standards and demand that those we recruit and commission meet those standards rather than lower the standards to meet the person. </span>
</p><p><span>Let’s admit a few things such as;--Only 25% of all American youths qualify to be considered for the military. Of high school graduates taking the ASVAB to join the Army, 23% (39% Black, 30% Hisp., 16% White) couldn’t meet the min score of 31. Only 25% of college graduates actually have a college level education. Why aren’t we using real numbers to determine the correct diversity mix in our Naval Services?; --Academy diversity recruiting isn’t working. Even with prep school, minority students still aren’t hitting the same performance levels as Whites.<span>  </span>They graduate at a lower percentage and meet their full service obligations at a significant lower percentage.<span>  </span>Something isn’t right and it’s not because the Navy isn’t trying; --Why do we see minorities clustered in a limited number of ratings/MOSs for both enlisted and officers?<span>  </span>Why don’t we demand that minorities percentages in MA, Admin, Supply, BM, etc ratings not be increased until we see increases in EOD, Special Warfare, Submarines, nuclear power, AO, EM, Gas Turbine Techs – GSE and QM and carrier-qualified fixed wing and helo pilots and crews?; --Why are Diversity offices and officers overwhelmingly minority and non-representative of the population? Why don’t we have a balance so that everyone is represented?</span>
</p><p><span>Comments?</span></p>

cdrsalamander said...

"<span>BTW, what has happened to Professor Fleming?"</span>

Make sure and click all the links above.  Your answer is there.

LT B said...

Largely, the problem w/ the under performance in the minority community is the excuses and lower expectations that are racist.  Oh?  Want to argue with me?  Then you think that minorities are lesser humans that need the white man's help and that they couldn't do it w/o the benevolent energy and time given by the oh so wonderful whites that would love to help the minorities as long as they stay out of the white neighborhoods.  Largely, the blacks that come to college from foreign countries out perform the US black students?  Why?  Expectations, and a greater emphasis on education.  That's what I've seen from the cheap seets in my mostly black neighborhood. 

James said...

OMG Lt B if you are white and saying that its over you are officaly racist. I am and i have been saying it for years.

Culture matters most. The culture of the inner cities where most of these are going to be from is gang culture. Self indulgent, clannish, racist (yep dont believe me? ask any black guy judged not Black enough of listen to how they treat other races), and full of other BS.
Perfect culture for a voting block.

Bet if you had a time machine and went back to ancient rome before the fall you would notice that the Roman Mobs culture was damned similar to that of todays say Chicogo or New york or Atlanta.

Anonymous said...

So the JAG 'investigation" concluded that all was within "constitutional" limits and that nothing needs to change in the admissions process.    A little fiddling by adding points for nebulous "leadership" experience or ability to throw a football is fine.

Sounds to me like we should shut down the affirmative action canoe school entirely.  ROTC can provide equally well educated leaders and officers, and pay for their own damn football programs.

This also reaffirms my low opinion of all lawyers, uniformed or not.    They will argue either side of an issue and have no interest in truth, only winning their case.  In this sham "investigation" they produced the desired answer, and ignored the truth.

Professor Fleming deserves a medal for daring to see, speak and demand the truth.  But, I suspect he is a target now, if not before.

LT B said...

My ex is black.  We grew up in a largely black neighborhood and I was bussed into my high school to try to bring whites into the region.  I watched black kids, who's parents made more money than mine, actually CHOOSE to be thugs because that is what it means to be black.  My g/f was called OREO, etc.  The current welfare state has pushed minorities, especially blacks further away from success.  Those that cast off these chains are the ones that succeed.  The vote buying, and racism shown by the politicians are incentivizing poverty.

Oh yeah, remember the question, "is Obama black enough?"  WTF?  Ignorance and racism!

Therapist1 said...

Indoc occurs between the 1st and 2nd stars.  Once mastered, you are awarded the 3rd and put into position. "Resistance is futile....."

Number Cruncher said...

<p><span>Sal, What I should have said was “what has happened to Dr Fleming’s blogging and editorializing since he reached his legal settlement with the Naval Academy after a federal investigation found evidence that it had illegally denied him a merit-pay increase to punish him for his public criticism of its affirmative-action policies?<span>  </span>He has been very quiet.<span>  </span>Did they take the fight out of him?<span>  </span>Dr. Fleming’s claim that led to the “legal inquiry” dates back before his settlement. <span> </span>I hate to think that we will not hear from him concerning the whitewash that was this “comprehensive review” by in-house academy JAG Corps officers. (Why didn’t they have this done by an outside, neutral, organization?). No facts, no data, no cost impact (dollars or morale), nothing other than the academy is doing a great job and unquantifiable “soft factors” for minorities outweigh hard factors for Whites.</span>
</p><p><span>Let’s use some hard facts.<span>  </span>Minorities, after 9 months (and $70,000) at NAPS do not have scores that meet the criteria used for White applicants. Once minorities are admitted (less Asians) they still don’t make the grade. According to a 2009 RAND report, White graduation rate at the Academy is 94%; Asians 93%; Women 85%; Hispanics 81%; Blacks 75%. Those who graduate with their $360,000 diploma have a five year ISO. RAND found that 97% of all Marine Corps and 87% of Naval Officers complete their ISO. What is telling (and statistically significant) are the completion rates by gender and race. Whites 90%; Hispanics 86%; Asians 83%; Blacks 83%; Women 75%. Something isn’t working right. Graduation and ISO numbers for all midshipmen and Officers should be consistent across the board.<span>  </span>In spite of everything the Navy is doing numbers tell a bleak story; minorities and women are not graduating and meeting their service obligations as high as white males.<span>  </span>I can’t prove it (but I’ll take a stab) but I believe Navy leadership isn’t pulling potential midshipman candidates up to an acceptable level.<span>  </span>They are settling for second rate candidates to ensure they meet diversity numbers….and only hope that no one takes a good hard look at what is coming out the other end. Let’s hope Dr. Fleming  stays in the fight.</span></p>

C-dore 14 said...

@SJS, During my first DC tour they thought they were making progress by assigning a new one-star (on his way up) to the job instead of an old one-star (on his way home).  Your point re: coordination makes sense although, back in the day, it was the job of the CNO's EA to look across the desk and tell that 3-star that the package "needs a bit more coordination".  Guess things have changed.

James said...

Dont forget people calling Cain a uncle Tom and alot worse.

LT B said...

Of course he is, because he resists the meme that blacks need money from society and can not make it on their own.  Unfortunately for those that push that crap, he made it, is rich, works hard and scares the ever living crap out of those that push that mess.

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