Diversity Thursday

What do you see in the pic below? Me? I see seven SEALS. (yes, I get the inside joke). Of course, that is what everyone sees ... well, most normal people. The enemy rarely sees them, so count yourself lucky.

What you have in the SEALS is the very epitome of a meritocracy born of demanding performance - a field where there is little margin for marginal performance. The standards are high and need to remain high. Objective, mission focus standards. Good for you? Good for me.

Well, it was only a matter of time until the sectarian Diversity Bullies took out their little color-wheels.

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENT OF POTENTIAL CONTRACT:
Requirement arises from identification of a demographic disparity across Naval Special Warfare (NSW). Specifically, this requirement will create a mechanism to enhance Naval Special Warfare's ability to conduct outreach, raise awareness, educate, and increase self-selection to a career as a Sea, Air and Land (SEAL within minority communities.
1.1 Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), San Diego, CA is seeking capable sources interested in a potential contract opportunity to provide Diversity Awareness and Education Support Services to the Naval Special Warfare Recruiting Directorate.

2. OBJECTIVE OF MARKET RESEARCH:
This is a Sources Sought synopsis for market research is conducted to assist in determining acquisition strategy for the subject procurement. Specifically, fedback is sought from industry in regards to commercial practices to obtaining the required services. Contract type, commercial practices, and performance-based specifications are being considered in development of this solicitation. Your input will greatly assist in this development. A draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is being posted as attachment to this website (www.fbo.gov), and you are invited to review this document and provide feedback on the document itself, as well as to the below questions.

Yep - someone want to shovel more money to the Diversity Industry in order to inoculate themselves from the usual suspects from The Hill to the grievance mongers.

There is nothing wrong with outreach - and you cannot get a better universal outreach than this last movie. Excellence attracts its own kind regardless of color. Mark over at BattlelandBlog makes some good points;

The Navy isn’t seeking only black SEALs: “Challenges for minority recruitment also exist in the Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander (API), Native American, and Arab American populations among others,” the announcement notes. “Given shifting demographics, these gaps in representation need to be corrected to ensure continued access. There are sustainment, societal, educational, and operational drawbacks to failing to correct this disparity."

Yes, I know - the don't and never give examples that survive the follow-on question, but that isn't the point. Initial or follow-on questions are not allowed, natch.

If you want strict numerical equality, then the hardest barriers to remove to reach the still undetermined utility of trying to make everything matchy-matchy (will they do that for areas over-represented by minorities? No, I don't think so) - are all beyond the Navy's control ... much less the SEALS'.

Can we impact to any meaningful extent high school graduation rates differences? No. Can we impact to any meaningful extent the differences in the ability to swim by ethnic groups? No. Those are just two of the barriers the SEALS have.

Follow the links and absorb the numbers; the differences are not small. In order to get an artificially important statistic - extraordinary efforts will have to be made for in the end has nothing to do with anything but promoting sectarianism and lining the pockets of the Diversity Industry.

Even worse - this will occupy the time and effort of already overstretched leaders in NSW. Is this what we want them to focus their time on? This artificial and meaningless statistic?

Have a fully open, equal access meritocracy, and excellence from across the broad spectrum of society will come in. To do anything else isn't just making your community sub-optimal - but it makes you by acts of commission and omission to perform your official duties with a racialist mindset. Is that why you joined the Navy? Is that in line with Honor, Courage, and Commitment?

What we will do is create more decision warping metrics (if you have received "that call" then you know what I mean) and spend millions of dollars in actual and opportunity costs just to chase a bean count.

Think about all the Sailors that we are letting go. All the good kit we don't/won't buy. Think of the lack of funds to get your Sailors the training your Command needs them to have. Then ponder the amount of money that will be spent to squeeze more out of this small market as possible to one end - make a nice PPT slide with the "right" numbers. Mark continues:

The draft solicitation also spells out the richest fishing grounds for SEALs of specific ethnic backgrounds, and encourages bidders to craft marketing campaigns to target them by region. “Regional campaigns will be conducted in metropolitan areas considered centers of diversity for African Americans (AA), Hispanics (H), Arab Americans (AR), and Asian Pacific Islanders (API) and that are of particular interest to the NSW RD [Naval Special Warfare Recruiting Directorate],” the draft solicitation says. “The bidder’s solicitation will include an engagement plan and fixed pricing for each region.”

It won’t be one-size-fits-all. “What may be appropriate messaging for the Southern California water polo and surfer kid,” the SEALs explain, “may not resonate with the inner city guy in Baltimore.”

The SEALs’ proposed hunting map:

2.1.3.1 Western Region:

San Diego Metropolitan to promote awareness to Hispanic, African American, Arab American, Middle Eastern, and Asian-Pacific Islander high potential candidates.

Los Angeles Metropolitan to promote awareness to Hispanic, African American, Arab American, Asian-Pacific Islander, and African and Middle Eastern immigrant high potential candidates.

2.1.3.2 Mid-Atlantic Region:

Norfolk / Tidewater Virginia Metropolitan to promote awareness to African American and Hispanic high potential candidates.

Baltimore / Washington DC Corridor to promote awareness to African American, Hispanic, Arab American, and Asian-Pacific Islander high potential candidates.

2.1.3.3 Northeastern Region:

New York City / Newark NJ Metropolitan to promote awareness to African American, Hispanic, Arab American, Asian-Pacific Islander, and African and Middle Eastern immigrant high potential candidates.

2.1.3.4 Southeastern Region:

Miami Metropolitan to promote awareness to African American and Hispanic high potential candidates.

2.1.3.5 Midwestern Region:

Detroit Metropolitan to promote awareness to African American, Hispanic, and Arab American, and Middle Eastern high potential candidates.

2.1.3.6 Southwestern Region:

Houston Metropolitan to promote awareness to African American, Hispanic, and Asian-Pacific Islander high potential candidates.

The contractor is expected, once a SEAL candidate is identified, to guide him toward SEALdom:

The Contractor will be required to develop and sustain an appropriate level of mentorship for HPCs identified during the specific events and regional campaigns conducted under this contract…Since the waterborne feature of SEAL training is often the most formidable obstacle for many prospective candidates, especially among minorities with little swimming experience, the swim training program is usually the most challenging of the mentoring components and the largest.

Read it all, and cry the beloved SEALS. I bet they didn't know they were doing it wrong. Those who support this retrograde program are telling out SEALS just that - or to be more blunt; that our SEALS are a racist organization in need of correction; and they are taking it like a submissive lick-spittle.