Attitudes Aren’t Free: Thinking Deeply about Diversity in the US Armed Forces

by James E. Parco and David A. Levy

Overview: According to Gen John A. Shaud, PhD, USAF, Retired, this book “offers a framework for improving policy in the areas of religious expression, open homosexuality, race, gender, ethics, and other current issues affecting military members. Parco and Levy provide us with a unique and robust discussion of divisive topics that everyone thinks about but rarely discuss.” Gen Bill Looney, USAF, Retired says, “It is imperative that those within DOD understand the rationale and passion generated by the contemporary social issues expressed in this book….It is required reading for every national security professional.” The specific social issues that our nation will face varies with time but the ability to rationally discuss them and their implications for the military and national defense will continue to be essential. This tome starts the discussion and provides a model for approaching future issues in a fair and critical way.

• Section I provides six chapters with varying views on how the military should approach religious expression. In Chapter 4, James Parco and Barry Fagin state, “If they [members of the armed forces] believe that their comrades who don’t share their religious beliefs aren’t as good as those who do, then they should leave the military and seek another career.” Do you agree with their sentiment? Should a member’s personal religious beliefs or lack thereof, affect how they are seen or evaluated? Should leaders be able to advocate or promote their religious beliefs while on duty? As chaplains serve the whole force but are endorsed by a specific faith group, should they be allowed to promote their personal religious convictions ahead of other religions?
• Section II: Homosexuality, presents six chapters debating the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) which was eventually repealed in 2011. After over five years of allowing openly gay service, and the tenure of an openly gay service secretary, has the military battled the major obstacles to readiness and morale that were predicted with repeal? What do the debates captured within this section tell us about how biases and tradition may shape the recommendations of senior leaders?
• In Section III, the authors focus on race and gender issues. “There is no other country in the world so widely diverse, yet so deeply committed to being unified as the United States of America. The challenges we face today are far too serious, and the implications of failure far too great, for our Air Force to do less than fully and inclusively leverage our nation’s greatest strength—our remarkably diverse people.” Parco and Levy posit that our diversity is “essential to our success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic global environment,” do you agree?
• Dr. Michael Allsep’s “The Odyssey of James Webb” (chapter 13) provides an astute depiction of Webb’s changing attitudes toward women in the military, specifically the military service academies. How is this individual transformation illustrative of the conflict between the attitudes towards versus the reality of “social experimentation” within the military (race, gender, sexual orientation)? How is Sen. Webb’s adaptive journey instructive for individuals dealing with the changes resulting from social policy?
• Steven Samuels and Dena Samuels in chapter 14, referencing the work of Michael Kimmel, claim that privilege is often invisible to those who have it as the “dominant statuses are considered the norm, everyone else is measured against that norm, and named accordingly.” They assert that “without an understanding of privilege, claims of reverse discrimination, tokenism, and feelings of even greater prejudice are inevitable as people who benefit from their invisible privilege are motivated both cognitively and emotionally to reject threats to their power.” Does privilege, and its invisibility to those who enjoy it, affect the Air Force? How does the Air Force cultivate a service culture without diluting the diversity that makes us stronger?
• ADM Mike Mullen in his “Address by the Chairman to the Military Leadership Diversity Commission”” mentions the awakening he got during his time as Chief of Naval Operations. He was speaking to the National Naval Officers Association about diversity when he received feedback essential saying “we hear you but what about your all white, all male staff?” Does the revelation he experienced support the arguments for the invisibility of privilege to those who have it? ADM Mullen states that after consciously diversifying his staff they continued to succeed and posits key job opportunities are critical to diversity in leadership. What do these observations say to commanders and senior leaders who arguing they are “just picking those best qualified for the job” fail to diversify?
• Chapter 22 discusses a 2009 study of West Point cadets that indicates they “perceive their organization and the military as having a particular view of the role of government [ideologically conservative] that is distinctly different from that of the civilian population [ideologically liberal].” Is this a problem, does this perception create a “potential moral hazard” as the authors suggest? What should policy makers and DOD leaders do to prevent the moral hazard or alter perceptions?