by Ray Hayes
In the past, the officer ranks of the Marines Corps has traditionally been dominated by one group, white males. With recent efforts to increase opportunities for diverse talent, things may be changing. According to Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, “…accessions of female and minority officers into the service reached 33 percent in fiscal 2016, an increase of about 10 percentage points from previous years.”
Now’s that is great news to hear, not because we at Supplierty News applaud anyone who champions diversity, but this makes the Corps stronger. More diverse talent could lead to new ideas, technology and effective leadership. Furthermore, the face of the nation is more than one group and within the next 20 years, things will look differently therefore the Corps has to look more and more like the nation.
In 2016, the Corps hit record highs of diverse talent. According to Jim Edwards, Marine Corps Recruiting Command spokesman, “the service received 1,603 new officers, of whom 9.8 percent were women and 33.3 percent were non-white.” Recruiters have been encouraged to target more women and in an effort to attract minorities the Corps have organized focus groups. The efforts are even more important when it comes to diversifying the seniority positions in the Corps since, “Just 10 percent of Marine colonels are non-white, and only 17 out of 693 — just over 2 percent — are female.”