Photo By Lt. Col. Miranda Gahn | Lt. Col. Daniel Brown with the Florida Army National Guard was awarded the Blacks in...... read more read more
Subscribe
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A battalion commander with the Florida Army National Guard was awarded the Blacks in Government (B.I.G.) Military Meritorious Service Award for his work towards improving diversity and inclusion for African Americans last month.
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Brown, commander of the 1-153 Calvary Squadron, received the award on August 29, 2023, in Washington, D.C., at the annual B.I.G. conference, for his work establishing the Florida National Guard’s African American Affinity Group and for mentoring other African American officers.
“I identified that many African American officers were leaving the Florida National Guard, and as I looked around my own organization, I didn’t see a lot of African Americans, especially in combat arms,” said Brown. “As a field grade officer, I took it as my responsibility to serve as a mentor to African American officers, to discuss and share experiences, in hopes of keeping them in an organization that I love dearly.”
The B.I.G Military Meritorious Service Awards recognize and honor members who significantly increase opportunities for participation in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or enhance the capacity to build and develop infrastructure to increase participation in Department of Defense programs involving contracts and grants, student and faculty employment, research and development, and the Officer Training Corps. They also recognize those who demonstrate support for the full integration and promotion of African Americans within the Armed Forces or Federal Civilian workforce.
“Lieutenant Colonel Dan Brown is an exceptional leader,” said Col. Blake Glass, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander. “I am incredibly proud to see him receive the National Blacks in Government Military Meritorious Service Award for the National Guard. This award is well-deserved, and it reflects his tireless efforts and commitment to ensuring equal opportunity for every member of our Armed Forces.”
When asked what words of advice he would give minorities in the government or civilian workforce, Brown’s response was right on brand:
“I would tell them to ‘pull as you climb,’” said Brown. “As you continue to advance in the organization, focus on doing your best to meet the commander’s intent and being the best officer you can be. But as you progress, understand that comes with an additional responsibility to mentor and pull those junior to you.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2023 10:59 |
| Story ID: | 453861 |
| Location: | ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 623 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Florida Army National Guard Battalion Commander recognized with national-level diversity award, by LTC Miranda Gahn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
