The Navy is re-purposing its old push to recruit more minorities into Navy SEAL teams.
Back in 1999, Congress directed a study by the RAND Institute to look at Black representation in the SEALs and Special Operations units. The study affirmed what the Navy already knew - SEALs are widely perceived as an all white organization. Back in 2002, RADM Eric Olson said the problem has never been that Blacks could not qualify for SEALS (less than 30% of applicants of any race make it). Blacks were (and continue) succeeding in the same percentages as whites. RADM Olson said the problem was that the Navy couldn't attract Blacks in large enough numbers to make a difference in the overall representation of minorities in the SEALs.
Fast forward to today and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Mark Thompson of TIME Magazine provides a thoughtful update to the Navy's ongoing efforts to increase minority representation among its most elite fighting force. Obviously some will see this as an effort to undermine the strength of our elite fighting forces. SEALs and Marines are known for being uncompromising when maintaining standards. As long as those standards are maintained, the SEALs will welcome all who meet them. Few can.
You can read Mark's excellent piece HERE. And don't miss ACT OF VALOR!!
4 comments:
Why would/should there ever have to be a question of race? Why can't it just be about the best and most qualified?...as stated in the last sentence.."as long as standards are maintained"....it should never come to a question of skin color or social derivation. We all bleed Red, White and Blue, and in this context, Navy Blue.
Captain Lambert,
It just so happened that some of the first SEAL training took place at the Amphibious Base in Little Creek Virginia in the early 1960’s. I was stationed at the time with the Harbor Defense Base at Fort Story, Virginia and the our Parent Command was Harbor Defense Unit at Little Creek, Va. This effort that started from various offshoots of UDT personnel, Army Rangers and any other resolute and tough guys was well advertised and had always been thought of as being some of the most determined and meanest bastards on this earth. And that was what was needed to accomplish the mission they were assigned.
I am sure that in this day and time (over 50 years from those times) that we certainly need to use affirmative action to integrate these SEALS. They have been playing too long with their own kind and the Navy should probably even put women and those stalwart individuals that no longer have to stare at DADT as a deterrent. Hasn’t the Navy learned anything in the last 50 years except to bow to the desires of the non-combatants that would appear to be modifying the Navy to meet their own needs, and not what is best for the Navy and this United States?
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834
If it is "as long as standards are maintained", and if they don't exclude due to race, why do they exclude due to gender?
The easy out is that is the way the law is written, but if Congress repealed that law, would NSW be welcoming of women...if they could meet the standards?
Anon. 26 Feb. 2012 2:51 PM
The conditioning standards for both sexes in most US military organizations are not equal at this time, I have not investigated all military organizations but from what I have read females are required to do considerably less than males and still pass their physical requirements.
The Seals have done well in their history and have never been other than first rate volunteers. The socialistic changes made in our country in the last 60 years or so where everyone should be allowed to do everything, and no one fails or that might hurt their self esteem, and everybody has to be a winner. This attitude is not even good for school children, as the system has been dumbed down to where everyone is successful and graduates, but few ever reach their full potential because they are held back by those that require more time than they, to learn the material, that is because the standards were lowered. And the more capable ones spend a lot of time twiddling their thumbs.
Respectfully,
Navyman834
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