Photo By Staff Sgt. David Beckstrom | Lt. Col Forrest Gibbs, the secretary of the general staff with U.S. Army Central,...... read more read more
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By Sgt. David Beckstrom
19th Public Affairs Detachment, USARCENT Public Affairs
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – History is rife with discrimination. This is evident in each era of human existence.
Equally present are the individuals and movements dedicated to fighting the injustices caused by discrimination, bias and hate.
They have been remembered as some of the greatest figures and bright spots in our history.
It takes commitment, passion and leadership to elevate an organization to that level, something the U.S. Army strives for every day.
U.S. Army leaders are adamant that discrimination and bias are incompatible with the Army Values and have taken measures to ensure these practices are not part of Army life.
Army programs, like the Equal Opportunity Leaders Course, empower Soldiers at every level to take responsibility for doing what is right, making the personal choice to end discrimination.
“EOLs are advisers to unit leadership, they give suggestions on what type of training is needed to foster an environment of positivity that is free of discrimination,” said Sgt. 1st Class Billy Sims, an EO course instructor with the 185th Theater Sustainment Brigade. “Having a working environment that is free of discrimination will not only create an environment of growth, but it will make our military stronger.”
The Army’s policy is to ensure that all service members will be treated with dignity and respect.
“Everyone is human,” said Staff Sgt. Tiffany Salazar, an EO representative from C Company, 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Brigade. “Your gender, race or creed does not make you any better or less of a person than anyone else. Success should be based upon ability and effort rather than discrimination.”
People’s perceptions of others can make a big impact on how they are treated and interacted with, said Master Sgt. Deitra Bruton, an EO Adviser with 1st Theater Sustainment Brigade, Operation Command Post. People should also think about what type of character is seen in the unit.
“We train EO reps to see the discrimination and how they need to react when someone comes to them with a complaint,” said Bruton. “We also want them to be able to see what actions are happening in the units and make recommendations to the command team on what type of actions should be taken.”
As units incorporate EO training throughout the year, they are better prepared to accomplish future missions and look out for one another.
“Getting the leadership involved with training will help the unit to be ready for their missions by stomping out discrimination before it happens,” said Taylor. “The EO program has useful and interactive tools to show the results of discrimination and how to counteract it.”
Life Raft and Star Power are exercises that teach people how perceptions, stereotypes and group socioeconomics have created barriers as well as various techniques on how to counteract them in the workplace. It also shows how the misuse of power can cause rifts within a group.
“The EOL course has its students go through various activities to help them understand themselves so that they can then understand others,” said Sims. “Everyone comes from a different background and until you understand what that means, you will not be as effective in your duties. Being able to understand barriers that the student might have and how to get past them is a good way for them to help others break down barriers and accomplish their goals.”
America has been called the melting pot of the world and this is exemplified in the Armed Forces.
“The military has a very diverse population of people within its ranks,” said Salazar. “They should all have the opportunity to excel, but sometimes there are discriminations that prevent them from accomplishing their goals. I want to be able to help these Soldiers to have that fair chance to succeed.”
If people are not willing to talk with the EO representative, then there is no reason for them to be there, said Bruton. This program will not be successful without mutual trust.
People need to be comfortable with leaders and EO advisors before they are willing to open up to them about issues of discrimination, said Sgt. Jasmine Taylor, an EO representative with 137th General Support Aviation Battalion, 185th TAB. “Being outgoing and sociable myself, I believe that others will be more willing to talk to me.”
One of the principle goals of the EO program is to create an environment free of discrimination to facilitate that readiness.
“Once people build relationships and bonds with others, trust is born,” said Taylor. “With trust in each other, great things can be accomplished. Discrimination does nothing but destroy that trust, making a hostile work place and causing morale to plummet.”
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.29.2015 08:12 |
| Story ID: | 180294 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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