Gregory D.

Lee

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November 24, 2008

Congressional Black Caucus Seeks Military Promotions According to Race

Before the election, the Army Times reported that the Congressional Black Caucus is seeking more minority senior officers among the nation’s military. Translation: We want more black generals and admirals. The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for extensive hearings and the formulation of a 23-member commission to study advancement opportunities for “minorities”. The Congressional Black Caucus doesn’t exist to promote the welfare of whites, Latinos, American Indians or Asian Americans. These members of Congress want the commission to spend about one year looking at current military personnel programs to see if they are working to create a “racially diverse leadership.”

As a Senior Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Five, I have twice had the privilege of serving on reserve promotion boards. The mechanics of selecting the highest ranking warrant officers is identical to the selection process the active duty Army uses. Only those best qualified, not fully qualified, for the positions are selected among their peers, and the process is amazingly fair. The race of the candidate is never considered and has absolutely nothing to do with the selection process, and that’s the way it should be. Each board member rates a candidate on a numerical basis, and then the numbers are totaled and averaged. Those meeting the board-established cut-off scores are promoted. Those who don’t aren’t. If there is a lopsided numerical score given to a particular candidate, the promotion board members re-score the candidate. When the whole process is over, various statistics are tabulated, and it’s amazing how the racial makeup of those being promoted mimics the Army as a whole.

When it comes to flag officers, those competing for general officer or admiral ranks, the process must also be free from affirmative action politics or the Congressional Black Caucus wouldn’t be making a fuss. In my view, either you qualify to perform at the most senior grades, or you don’t. The officer’s entire record is scrutinized for consistency of superior performance over his peers, his or her ability to lead and manage large organizations and his or her moral character. To give someone an edge simply because he or she is of a certain race dilutes the process, can potentially cost lives and causes immeasurable harm to the military.

What if an Army promotion board in the 1930s had been forced to pass over Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower for promotion to brigadier general because he was white? Eisenhower was clearly a superior officer is every way. But in light of today’s world of political correctness he might have been passed over and probably would have retired before World War II began. If Normandy needs invading in order to destroy the Nazis and liberate Europe, do you want second best calling the shots and making war plans that will directly affect the lives of thousands of soldiers?

The notion of interjecting race into the selection process is insane. The instructions to the Army promotion board members are that race will not be a factor in the selection process. The Black Caucus members say they are concerned about younger officers seeing few minorities in the top ranks. I see it as confirmation that only the best are selected for these important positions. So if you want to be a flag officer, you have to consistently perform at the highest level possible. Was Colin Powell a product of an affirmative action selection board? I don’t think so.

So long as there are affirmative action programs, people will always wonder if someone in a high position came to be there from merit, or by virtue of his or her race. If big business wants to promote more minorities, they certainly have that right. But with a public entity like the military, in which the nation’s defense rests with its senior officers, I’d rather have the best of the best, as opposed to the best of a particular race.

Not only will the Black Caucus affirmative action plan be unfair to deserving officers who are passed over because they aren’t the right color, it could discourage outstanding officers from competing for the senior ranks in the first place.

Now that a black man has been elected to be the next president of the United States, shouldn’t all affirmative action programs be a thing of the past?

Gregory D. Lee is a nationally syndicated columnist for North Star Writers Group, and can be reached through his website: www.gregorydlee.com.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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