Military Equal Opportunity Program

Military Equal Opportunity Program
SFC RODRIGUEZ
Master Leader Course
Class 404-23-05
MSG
20 March 2023
Military Equal Opportunity Program
Introduction
The Department of Defense (DoD) Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Program was signed by the Secretary of Defense on May 19, 1994 to prohibit unlawful discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for all servicemen and cadets. DOD. Spurred on by the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the DoD ordered race relations training for all service men to combat its widespread policy of segregation and inequity. DOD defines the MEO program as geared towards ensuring service members are treated with dignity and respect and are afforded equal opportunity. If nothing is done to sustain the MEO program, the DoD will likely become a biased environment where servicemen and cadets are categorized in terms of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Commanders in the US military must consistently create standards for equal opportunity for all, regardless of rank, position, or obstacles. This paper asserts that the MEO program is undermined by challenges in leader development, funding, and unit training of military personnel, civilians, local nationals, and contractors. If these issues are not resolved, then the MEO program will fail in its original goal of creating a fair and equitable climate for all servicemen, cadets, and their families. The DoD needs to implement comprehensive leader training, increase funding for diversity activities, and make learning more conducive for military personnel, civilians, local nationals, and contractors.
Obstacles in the Military Equal Opportunity Program
Leader development
Supporting Idea 1: Non-Supervisory/Supervisory leader roles
The challenge of leader development in ensuring equal opportunity for all can be addressed by requiring all non-supervisory and supervisory leaders to undergo online training on equal opportunity. The online training must focus on developing leaders’ ability to direct and sustain a fair environment for all personnel regardless of personal characteristics (DCPAS, 2023). Senior army soldiers who are supervisors to civilians must also complete the Equal Opportunity (EO) training program on how to cultivate an organizational philosophy of fairness, justice, and equity as well as how to deal with issues of unlawful discrimination and unfair treatment of cadets and family members. According to the Army Strategic Planning Guidance, developing leaders is the best way to produce commanders who are capable of decisive action in the operational environment (United States Army Combined Arms Center, 2015). Leader development through online training will produce decisive commanders capable of cultivating and sustaining a climate of inclusion, dignity, and mutual respect within their units.
Supporting Idea 2: EO military education
EO military education addresses the problem of sustaining a widespread effort to optimize human potential (both service men and civilians). Every soldier who has achieved the rank of SGT E5 and above must complete a 40-hour EO training to facilitate an environment free of any form of discrimination and conducive to unit cohesiveness and general combat readiness. The training must include a 10-hour training that focuses specifically on ensuring EO among DoD civilian employees. Civilians with a connection to the US army including Local Nationals, Department of the Army Civilians (DACs), and Civilian contractors should also be included in the EO training program. DoD civilian employees, in addition to military members, are responsible for creating a culture of mutual respect and dignity and therefore EO training is key for both groups. Another issue in addressing MEO challenges relates to command policy letters as a way of ensuring equal opportunity compliance in all units.
Supporting Idea 3: MEO Policy Letters
Another way of sustaining a comprehensive effort to ensure fair treatment for all soldiers, cadets, and civilians is by requiring all commanders across the board to have MEO policy letters. All military departmental leaders must develop EO policies specific to their areas of jurisdiction within 30 days after assuming command (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, 2022). The MEO policy letters must address both EO and EEO Programs to reinforce the standards expected of all personnel in relation to creating a climate of fairness and equity. Departmental policy letters will provide the set of EO guidelines for decision-making in daily situations and operational procedures. Moreover, the MOE policy letters will provide all personnel with a documented method of dealing with unlawful discrimination and offensive conduct.
The second challenge facing MEO programs relates to funding shortfalls, which is covered in the next section.
Funding
Supporting Idea 1: Observances
The DoD holds monthly Cultural Observances and Awareness Events with the aim of recognizing the continuous contributions of all groups that make up the Americ...