A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
Let me introduce myself. My name is Art. I am the newest author for A Soldier’s Perspective. While the other authors write on a large range of topics, I will focus exclusively on my interpretation of the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program. Like most things in the Army, the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program is very subjective and therefore it can be interpreted in many ways. My interpretation of the program should not be construed to represent the official position of the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program or the Department of the Army.
So what is my interpretation of the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program? Simple: the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program, as it is being applied currently in the Army, is illegal and itself is reminiscent of an extremist organization.
For example, critical terms such as “racism,” “prejudice,” and “discrimination” are defined in such a way that only white Soldiers can be racist, prejudice, and act out discrimination; minorities are completely exempt. According to several equal opportunity advisors in Korea, and the numerous equal opportunity-related publications, minority Soldiers cannot be racist because they do not have power to be racist. A brigade equal opportunity advisor once told me that, “Blacks cannot be racist because it isn’t in their nature to be racist.” The Equal Opportunity Representative Course even writes, “minorities, who lack power and institutional support, cannot practice racism…”
Even though minorities do not have “power”, they do have special privileges that white Soldiers do not have. For example, minority Soldiers are allowed to celebrate their heritages while white Soldiers cannot celebrate their heritage. There is Black History Month, Asian History Month, but no White History Month. The closest there is to that is Saint Patrick’s Day, but that isn’t an official celebration like all the other minority celebrations are. There are also official military awards for minorities such as the Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award, the DoD National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award, and the DoD League of United Latin American Citizens Excellence in Military Service Award. Even though the criteria does not specifically require a Black-American or Latino-American winner, I think it is pretty evident who they want to receive the awards.
One more example. I, a white male, a member of the group that has all the “power” was not powerful enough to file a formal equal opportunity complaint and my two Inspector General (IG) complaints were “unsubstantiated.” Portions of one of my IG complaints (which is considered to be protected speech as per the Military Whistleblower Protection Act) was read out loud during the 7th Biennial EO, Diversity, and Culture Research Symposium sponsored by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) in Florida. The LTC that read my complaint was not disciplined.
Throughout the whole dilemma, a lot of people stonewalled me and when that wouldn’t work, they chose to move on to harassment and threats. The question to ask here is why? Because rather innocently and because I stumbled on a political policy imbedded in Army training policy that no one wants to address or even acknowledge? And they certainly don’t want to publicize my concern. Why? Because doing so would cause potentially disruption of morale in the ranks that the Army simply can’t tolerate. Thus, my claim and even my career, is expendable in favor of a larger cause or “good” as the Army sees their policy. I may indeed have stumbled upon and researched something even more important for the county and its race relations and political agendas and practices. This kind of thinking and regulation that I found is a political strategy that can benefit certain people who do not want equality, but rather want the “power” they believe they deserve. If this policy is imbedded in the Army, the question I ask is where else is it also embedded quietly and with no recourse? Is there a broader re-education attempt going on in other government agencies and institutions?
(11) Readers Comments
Leave a Reply
![[UPDATE] The “Face” of Military Dating Scams – The Wall of Shame](http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/thumb.php?src=http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2.jpg&w=53&h=41&zc=1&q=100)
555FAA71-9003-E525-37025352646A88C8
Hi Gaby, you can email me at tracylin.hogan@yahoo.com and i will ta
Army Review of PTSD Will Reinforce Combat Veterans Not to Seek Help
CJ, we thank you for your service and all you have been through and ho
Carole
I believe it’s called “political correctness”. They have been feeding it to us for many years in many places other than the Army. Consider the Duke Lacrosse case a few years ago. That was a great example of political correctness run amok. I’m not sure what, if anything, we can do about it.
Good post, Art.
Dan McDonald
Art,
Please do not involve the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Instititue in your characterization above. The institute provided you a platform upon which to make your agruement (in a scientific forum). The institute also had nothing to do with the alleged LTC’s behavior, who is not from the insitute. Pairing DEOMI’s name with your situation and the alleged behavior of some Army members is unfair and innacurate.
Art
Mr. McDonald,
You are absolutely right. DEOMI did give me a platform for me to voice my options and I am greatly appreciative of that. DEOMI was very professional and I meet some very wonderful people. The LTC that read my IG complaint in the open forum was not part of DEOMI and if I gave that impression-I apologize. DEOMI officials told me after my presentation that they did not know the LTC was going to confront me on my complaint. I believe them. I only mentioned DEOMI in my article to point out the fact that this LTC did read portions of my complaint during their symposium.
Thanks for your post.
MS EEO
I absolutely disagree with your contention. I am a current attendee at DEOMI and have already sought professional health counseling in my 3rd week here as I firmly believe this institute is a breeding ground in creating racists. I am a minority and prior to coming here I made ALL decisions based on merit, knowledge, skill, ability; it is now ever apparent to me, many staff members have come here with their own agenda(s) disregarding the DEOMI mission. I have been discriminated against by staff based solely on my “color” and when I raised my concerns, not only was I attacked with veiled threats of being sent home; I have been graded based not on my performance, but on simply voicing an opinion. This school has left me questioning why my tax dollars are going to a school that is teaching otherwise fair and impartial people to “hate.” This program has not only had an impact on my mental health, it has also caused me to second-guess myself as an effective EO Advisor. I most likely will be resigning from my current employment after graduating (if I graduate), but whomever is responsible for believing individuals with no behavorial science background, clinical counseling experience, or psychological skill or experience can facililtate, train, and grade others on their “behavior” is incomprehendable. I say DEOMI needs to be examined to the fullest extent possible and perhaps an overhaul needs to be done in determining whether the intended outcome in 1971 is the same objective attempting to achieve three decades later. Thus far, this program has taught me to hate, upon my arrival, I did not have these feelings or prejudices.
Shannon
My husband has the same complaints. It’s not just the EO program that has issues within the Army. I had an issue when my husband was deployed to Iraq. A married soldier from across the street touched my then 15 year old daughter, and made lewd comments about her figure. He’d come into my house and boss my children around when I was at work, and made my kids uncomfortable. I went to EO, then CID, and found out he had done this to several young girls. A case was formed, statements were taken, all evidence was founded. Because my daughter was the only one that wasn’t afraid to come forward, they refused to go to trial. His wife began arassing my children, as well as friends of theirs including other soldiers. Beer bottles were thrown against our house, threats were made, and not one person stood up to protect a minor from the influx of harassment and threats by a soldier and family members and friends. Nothing happened to this guy!
What does that tell me…there are no rules and regs that protect family members or minors from abuses that may occur on post. The Army across the board has tied some hands on how to handle issues that deserve a response. Whether it is an EO complaint from a white soldier, or a sexual harassment complaint by a soldiers minor child. Some things need to change, and the only way to change it is to bring it to the attention of the HMFIC. People need to stand up and be counted…I am in the process of writing a letter to get some laws on the books for minors who may go through the same situation my daughter did. As they say…the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Art
Shannon, thank you for your post. I wish you and your daughter all the best. As you already know, don’t give up the fight.
Zsu
As a present octogenarian who at times in her childhood sat in a corner and cried over physical and mental abuse because I thought I was powerless to fight my aggressive abusers and molesters, I say to you – Do not allow these incidents by an abusive boor harm yours and your daughter’s lives. (and your other child/children) Stay as calm as possible, but hone your mental faculties to their sharpest. Keep written as well as computer password-controlled records of each and every incident. Dates, times, words, touches, be specific and accurate. Let integrity and truth guide your every move and word. Do not tell him his wife or any of the harassers what you are doing lest they become more aggressive and abusive.
He is not a typical US military man.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Nick
My wife is in the army and we are having several problems. One her being the only white people in her chain and another with her being a female. They walk all over her. They have her clean their office even though that is not her MOS. This has been a horrible experience. I have been sick for the past year partially because of our PCS location I did get a doctor note requested transfer to another base but they have stalled the paper work. Despite my 2-3 year prognosis. She has been sexually harassed by her own chain of command as well. We have noticed favoritism based on race. The black soldiers are treated far better and have their own lingo. To get away from the stress we were planning a trip in August and they are denying it. They say it is because it is red cycle. Doesn’t make sense to us. The commander is a female and acts friendly to my face of course but is damaging both her and myself physcially and mentally by the treatment and enviroment we endure. We do not want to quit but are drained. They discouraged her from going to mental health saying they will lock her up for a month. Don’t know what to do. Could use some help. I’m tired of the racist, sexist, power control bastards.
ASTEDA
Wow, that’s quite the article, Art. Unfortunately what you’re feeling is not unique because a lot of Soldiers in the Army feel the exact same way you do. That being said, a lot of your commentary comes off as victimization rather than education.
Your first point (where only white Soldiers can be considered racist, etc.) is complete bologna. The first thing you have to take into consideration is that every science and discipline has a higher learning construct that goes well above the “normal” understanding of the subject. Being a medic doesn’t make one a doctor- and being an Equal Opportunity Leader or Advisor doesn’t make one a PhD in sociology or human relations. It’s true that academics have said that minorities in this country can’t be considered true racists because they lack the power to enforce racism, but what you’re missing (or what you failed to include in your diatribe) is that ANY person, regardless of their race, can display racist behaviors. As most educated people know, behaviors are learned. So yes, a minority can be a racist and display racist behaviors, but they learned that behavior from somewhere… and that somewhere is most assuredly rooted the racism and discrimination that was legally practiced in the United States up until, and well after, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To honestly think that minorities came to this country several hundred years ago with the words “cracker” or “redneck” on their minds is complete and utter tripe. The laws of this country forced minorities to band together and the people who supported those laws forced minorities to develop racist beliefs based on how they were being treated. So to point it bluntly, until blacks, Hispanics, or Asians become the dominant race in this country where they control 90% of the wealth and power, they’ll continue to display racist behaviors and not be considered true racists in the academic world. I’m sorry if your EOL’s and EOA’s didn’t explain that to you.
Your second point is where you lost me. When you wake up in the morning and turn on the news you can see people like yourself on 90% of the channels telling you about the great accomplishments of other people who look like you. We learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Founding Fathers, astronauts who walked on the moon, doctors who created the polio vaccine, war heroes like Teddy Roosevelt, Audy Murphy, Dwight Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and even good ol’ General Custard (which is ironic considering he was part of an “ethnic cleansing” that took place LONG before Bosnia). The reasons we created Black History Month and Native American History Month and the like is because EVERY DAY is white person day in this country. From the news channels where you see MAYBE one token minority reporter, the THOUSANDS of magazines where white faces adorn the covers, to the fact that only three CEO’s of the Fortune 500 are minorities should explain that white people are the dominant and most celebrated race in America. A moron could see that… but no, you want everyone who read your article to believe that history month observations, a few magazines like “Ebony”, and a channel like “BET” (all of which celebrate people of color and THEIR accomplishments) is a way that minorities get special privileges. I honestly feel sorry for you, Art… to think that you’re just a poor white guy in America must be tough.
The rest of your article goes on to explain that you got shafted by the system- and judging by some of the replies on here, a lot of other people have been shafted as well. Well guess what? The system is NOT perfect. If it were we wouldn’t have had Watergate, Bill Clinton would have actually been removed from office after his impeachment (yeah, let Obama keep a mistress and see how quick the Congress is to kick him out of office), and the Army would have never promoted the NCO’s and officers who end up in jail on a daily basis for doing stupid shit that should have gotten them in trouble when they were cadets or junior enlisted. The system fails from time to time- grow up, dust it off, move on and learn from it. Generalizing an entire program based on your poor experience is just more ammunition to prove that your argument and beliefs are as shallow as your argument.
I’m currently serving as an EOA for a BDE and MOS where minorities make up less than 12% of the total population. One of my first complaints was a white couple who came to me saying that their neighbors on post were racist and their actions were creating a “hostile environment” for them because they spread the rumor that this couple was racist. I listened to their complaint and to me it sounded justified. Being the good EOA that I am I decided to drive by their neighborhood to get a picture of what was going on- and low and behold on the bumper of the white couple’s truck was the Confederate flag. So I got out of my car and spoke with the neighbors and later found out that the white couple also liked to play music written by David Allen Coe (who is quite possibly the most offensive musician I’ve ever heard) at their BBQ’s. Do you know what their defense was when I confronted them about this? Well, to make it short and sweet- they BOTH told me that they should be able to express their heritage just like minorities do with Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Excuse me- but the last time I checked neither of those celebrations put up flags that represent 400 years of slavery or celebrate music where killing “crackers” for fun is the focal point. To make matters worse, when I refused to process the complaint because of the embarrassment it would have created for my command, one of the SGM’s called me a trader to my race- that’s right, I’m white. In the end the couple was kicked out of post housing- and I’m quite sure they now proudly fly their Confederate flag without repercussion. I’ve also gotten black NOC’s relieved from their positions of authority for abusing their rank when it came to rating white Soldiers unfairly compared to their minority peers. So to be honest, if you had a legitimate complaint (which I doubt you had) YOUR command should be to blame for not doing the right thing- not the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program, because I can tell you from experience that my command has no issue with reprimanding and removing minorities when they violate AR 600-20.
Now here’s the important part. When I went to DEOMI, being a Caucasian male, I got frustrated. I got frustrated because I was being taught from the minority perspective. I got frustrated because most of my instructors were minorities. I got frustrated because my race was being blamed for the origins of racism. I got really frustrated because I had personally experienced racist behaviors when I was lower enlisted and my race got me details and more work than the minorities in my platoon. I got so frustrated that I couldn’t wait to get of class, get off base, and go somewhere to think. Then hit me while I was at restaurant where the all the staff and customers were white- and I made the comment, “It’s good to be back in the real world.” You see, all that frustration and anger I was feeling for that short period of time at DEOMI was the SAME THING minorities have felt in this county for their ENTIRE lives. It took me seven weeks to realize that. So, if it only took me seven weeks and one bad experience to get frustrated, and it takes you a couple if minority observances to feel frustrated- imagine how people who can’t get back to the “real world” must feel.
The point of the Army’s EO Program is that it’s not about the self- it’s about the whole. It’s about keeping the good order and discipline of the unit. Matters of color, religion, race, national origin, and gender should have nothing to do with how your unit functions. However, the program is only as good its commanders who oversee it. They’re the ones responsible for what does and does not happen after a complaint has been filed- not the program. In my two and a half years as an EOA I have YET to see one formal case get turned down because of political correctness or a fear of doing the right thing because the accuser was white.
The bottom line is that most white people who find themselves frustrated by the EO Program have a history somewhere in their lives where they were wronged, or because they believe that there should be a White History Month. Considering what minorities have been though in this country just to get where they are today- and what they continue to deal with on a daily basis from the likes of people like you who believe that you have it bad because no one is championing your heritage, simply tells me that you’re about you and nothing else. For every white guy like you there are a hundred like me who don’t see a problem with the program, how it works, and who it supports. Because of that fact, people like you ARE the minority- and maybe, just maybe, you now know what it feels like.
rodney roberts
Great response. I think its very sad when white Soldiers complain about racism and unfair treatment. Its even sadder when they complain about not having a “White Heritage or White History” month. EVERYDAY of the first 200 plus years of this nations “his-tory” has been White Heritage and White History month. Wake up dude. I don’t remember learning about the accomplishments and contributions of blacks when I growing up and going to school every day. I learned far more about slavery and the slave trade than I did about African American history. White Americans have taken advantage of minorities and discriminated against minorities since the Pilgrims came over. Whether its Indians, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, or Muslims, there has been institution racism practiced against them. The respective heritage months are to increase awareness for minority cultures, histories, and ways of life. We all know the culture, history, and way of life of white America. We’ve livedit all our lives. WE DON’T NEED another month out of the year to understand it.
Sure, all Soldiers can be victims of unfair and unequitable treatment, but to say its racism, probably not. Its a means of sticking to together and taking care of their own. Is it right, no. All Soldiers deserve fair treatment. Art, Your case an isolated one. I’m sure you’re not the only white Soldier who has experienced what you may feel is reacism, but I guarantee you there are far more Black Soldiers who have experienced. Whites make up more than 70% of the Army. They have the power. Therefore, as stated in previous responses, Blacks cannot practice racism. They can only exhibit racist behaviors, which are learned behaviors. Much the same as kids learn it from their parents and other family members, many blacks have learned it from those who have practived racism against them.
Educate yourself Art and stop spreading an unfair message,
Brock Alamo
There is a common theme that everyone wants to address here which is racism. Yes racism exists and a form of reverse racism also exists. The latter is evident in Ricci v. DeStefano, a supreme court case in which the promotion of firefighters was based on racial discrimination. The issue is very simple. Everyone regardless of race wants to be treated fairly. Our performance should be recognized based upon merit solely.
The last reply to this post brought up the question of having history months dedicated to particular ethnic groups. This closely mirrors having medals that essentially do the same thing. I do not find it particularly insulting but mainly because do not belong to one of the affected groups (except for the fact that I consider myself part of the human race rather than a subcategory of it). It would however be insulting to me if my personal achievements were precluded with the beginning word white. It’s like saying that that is the number one defining thing about a person is their race rather than the achievement which is being treated secondary in nature. Highlighting race first is like saying look what this person was able to do even though they are fill in the blank.
Furthermore if the declaration is made that the history of the United States is dominated by a particular race what is the issue with that. If the majority of the population belonged to that race it kind of makes sense that the majority of the history would fall under that group. It should be considered as well that the evil act of slavery denied the world from great possible scientists and leaders of a different color from having the opportunity to achieve like the majority had. The history of the US if dominated by whites does not mean whites accomplish more, it may just mean they had the opportunities to accomplish more. Despite these pitfalls we thankfully have some individuals of minority races that have achieved despite great adversary. If someone still takes issues with these facts consider this: In you were to go to China it is doubtful that their history taught has predominantly whites. It would likely be a history relative to the country and China consists mainly of Asians. This is not racism rather it is each country’s unique history.
We should get something straight. When celebrating civil rights and mentioning people that have overcome the difficulty of racism, it is perfectly acceptable to highlight individuals for these purposes and under this banner. For instance, when looking at the ongoing discrimination of homosexuals highlight Alan Turing. He certainly was persecuted by his government for his sexuality despite being a key person in the Allies fight to win World War 2 (he broke the enigma code). However, if looking at history and World War 2 and the history of the computer which he is a part of both, his sexuality is an irrelevant detail to his accomplishments. It absolutely has no bearing on what made him a hero. Therefore it should be noted that history should be treated as it is- history. Civil rights is a caveat of history. Trying overwrite one over the other is intellectually dishonest and usually the results will still come out imperfect as everyone has their own subjective motives in rewriting facts.
In summary placing race before the achievement not only encourages separating our shared human achievements, which is racist, it insults the highlighted person by treating their race/sexuality/ethnicity /sex as a necessary detail that must be included. Last time I checked Wilbur Wright of the famous Wright Bros is not highlighted in history as a Bald inventor who helped design the airplane. He is defined by his role in inventing the airplane alone. His baldness is as incidental as the fact that he was also thin and tall. You treat people fair by representing their merits not the traits that are out of the control.