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Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, released the following statement after a Subcommittee hearing examining diversity in the Coast Guard—including the recruitment, promotion, and retention of minority personnel:
“Increasing diversity in the Armed Forces is bigger than the advancement of racial and ethnic minorities and women. It is about ensuring that the men and women who have dedicated themselves to serving our country are fully prepared to confront the challenges of the 21st century. We must ensure that each branch of the U.S. military is taking all of the steps necessary today to increase our readiness tomorrow.
“Today’s hearing offered the opportunity to learn about the important leadership and diversity initiatives being introduced by the U.S. Coast Guard. I was pleased to hear of the Service’s efforts to strengthen outreach to institutions that traditionally serve minority students, as well as its goal of expanding its pre-commissioning program for college students to institutions with more diverse student populations.
“However, it became clear that the Coast Guard lacks clearly defined goals and measures. When an organization cannot clearly see its end destination, it becomes difficult to efficiently and effectively complete the journey. It is critical that the Coast Guard be able to outline in very specific terms the diversity goals it is working to achieve, as well as the methods by which it will assess its progress toward the achievement of these goals. Furthermore, these goals and measures should be transparent and publicized so that everyone can understand and contribute to their achievement.
“The Coast Guard has repeatedly shown an unrivaled service to our nation, and I will continue working both with its members as well as with my colleagues on the Subcommittee to ensure that it has all of the necessary policies in place to create a Service that accurately reflects the diversity of the nation it is committed to protect.”
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