ADC President Joe Driskill announced a new partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton entitled “One Military, One Community.”
“ADC’s One Military, One Community Initiative is a national conversation within the greater military community working to ensure that every military family arriving at their new duty station will never have to face racism, intolerance or inequality,” according to the initiative’s website.
Matt Borron and Andrea Inserra, Executive Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton discussed the new initiative further,* followed by a discussion with Representative Anthony Brown (Maryland) on the topic of racial inequality in the military.
“When George Floyd was murdered it was a moment of reckoning for this nation,” said Brown. “It highlighted the disparities from mistreatment from police; disparities in education, health care, the labor market… it also showed disparities within the military.”
Brown described that while up to 43 percent of military personnel come from communities of color, diversity is lacking in the services’ highest ranks. “We are doing really well in recruiting in diverse communities… were doing a poor job in retention.”
Brown said he and his colleagues recommended to the Secretary of Defense creating a mentorship program that would assist creating a more diverse pool of service members. This would be done by helping minorities achieve career fields that usually merit promotion to higher ranks.
*Read more about ADC’s “One Military, One Community” initiative