ADC Launches One Military, One Community Initiative

October 5, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of Defense Communities (ADC) announced the launch of a new initiative today focused on creating a more equitable place for all service members and their families to call home. ADC’s One Military, One Community Initiative is designed to create a conversation within defense communities about the issues of racism, intolerance or inequality, and their impact on our service members and families.

“The events of this summer have created a national conversation about racism and inequalities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and this conversation has now extended to our military,” said Joe Driskill, ADC President.  “As home to our nation’s military, America’s defense communities have an important role to play in this conversation as they work to create and maintain the most welcoming environment possible for our service members and their families. ADC’s work in this area will be focused on giving our communities the support and tools they need to understand this issue locally and have the important conversations that can lead to positive change.”

Once separated by fences and uniforms, defenses communities and bases are now interconnected in every way – except in their diversity. While our country’s military today is more diverse than ever, many defense communities are some of the least diverse places in the country. This means we are still asking our service members to live in communities where they may not feel completely welcomed.

The One Military, One Community Initiative is made possible through the support of Booz Allen Hamilton, a global firm driven to excel, do right, and realize positive change. “We are proud to support the One Military, One Community initiative with ADC. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into the firm’s purpose and core values, and are an integral part of the firm’s Racial and Social Equity Agenda. We will move forward with ADC to foster collaboration on-and-off base, across defense communities, and through the organizations that support our service members and their families,” said Andrea Inserra, Executive Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton.

The initiative will advance this goal by focusing on four key actions:

  • Listening to those who have experienced the impact of racism and inequality to ground our efforts in their experiences;
  • Understanding the issues of racism and inequality in military communities, and developing a strong analytical foundation;
  • Planning for collective action in every defense community by creating a roadmap; and
  • Learning from each other through resources and engagements that enhance awareness, increase understanding, and keep this conversation alive.

Details about the initiative’s projects and current outreach is available at defensecommunities.org/onecommunity

October 5, 2020

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