LESSON NUMBER: 2
TASK: The Army’s EO Program and Policies
CONDITION: Classroom environment
STANDARD: 1. Describe the Army’s Policy Statement.
OVERVIEW: 2. Define the Army’s EO Policy.
3. Describe the EO Concept, Principles, and Program Components.
TYPE OF INSTRUCTION: Conference
TIME OF INSTRUCTION: 1 Hour
MEDIA: Viewgraph #2-1 through Viewgraph #2-6 and Student Handouts #2-1
NOTE: EOAs need to obtain copies of the local commander’s EO policy statement and ensure each student is provided a copy.
LEAD-IN: The Army's Equal Opportunity Program was born in response to violent confrontations that erupted between racial and ethnic groups at posts and installations in the Continental United States (CONUS) and at overseas locations in 1969 and 1970. Many believed that these violent eruptions were in response to earlier race riots that had taken place in almost every major city across the country.
After numerous reports, task force studies, and soldier surveys, the one issue that permeated all findings was the actual or perceived issue of discrimination. Soldiers' morale was at an all time low, and a significant failure of communication existed across racial lines. These issues seriously jeopardized mission effectiveness and adversely undermined the Army's combat readiness.
The earliest attempt to institutionalize equal opportunity in the Army probably began with President Truman's executive order to desegregate the services in 1948. However, the 22 years that followed saw no significant, deliberate, well-conceived plan or program to check systemic discrimination and other forms of unequal treatment. Since 1970, the Army has been engaged in a long range program designed to ensure and improve combat readiness through an effective equal opportunity program.
Today, many changes have occurred, moving the Army's Equal Opportunity (EO) Program from a strictly educational and training initiative to a multifaceted management...