As one walks into the headquarters of 108th Training Command (IET) one will notice the portraits of the changing faces of the senior leaders throughout the command and the US Army. No longer are our leaders of one race, ethnicity or gender; as the Army’s personnel are diverse and multicultural, so are its leaders. The Army has taken initiatives to make sure its leaders are representative of its members. |
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The issuance of Executive Order 8802 by President Franklin Roosevelt, in January 1941, prohibited discrimination based on race, creed, color, or national origin in both defense industries “or government.” A committee on Fair Employment Practice was established to ensure the fair employment practices as well as the creation of a management office designed to receive and investigate complaints and to “recommend” and execute actions.
The Armed Services did not go without its fair share of changes prior to 1948, African-Americans had served in only segregated units but in July 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981. These anti-discrimination measures would forever change the face of the United States and its military. Executive Order 9980 authorized the organization of review boards within federal executive departments and agencies in which employees claiming racially discriminatory treatment could appeal. Executive Order 9981 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin within federal establishments, the order also abolished racial segregation in the military. This Executive Order would also establish the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services as well as to study and resolve the problem of segregation in the armed forces.
Also in 1948, Congress passed the Women’s Armed Services Act, establishing a permanent place for women in the services and established a two percent cap for total female representation that would remain in effect until 1967. On July 23, 2008, Lt. Gen. Anne E. Dunwoody was nominated and confirmed by the Senate to the rank of four-star general. She is the first woman in the U.S. military and uniformed services to achieve this rank showing equal opportunity progression in the U.S. Army.
Nowhere is the achievement of the goals and policies put forth by the Army’s Equal Opportunity office more important than at the 108th Training Command (IET). Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III has entrusted the 108th Equal Opportunity office to assist him in ensuring our command maintains a positive workplace environment for all Soldiers and civilians alike. Mallory has given training guidance for the 108th outlining three initiatives: Accomplish the mission; Take care of Soldiers and their Families; and live the Army values while following the Golden Rule.
“If we recognize and reward performance and counsel when efforts fall short, then we are taking care of Soldiers. An organization whose Soldiers and civilians are focused on their missions and fulfilled by the performance of their duties and workplace relationships can be fully focused on accomplishing the mission,” said Mallory. He added Equal Opportunity is not just another program that we support here at the Training Command “It’s the way we do business”.
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