A Comprehensive Review of Diversity and Inclusion with Recommendations for the Marine Corps for 2020-2025
Abstract
The Marine Corps has made limited historical diversity and inclusion progress and continues to lag behind other Services, especially with gender integration. This thesis seeks to give readers a current, balanced perspective of diversity and inclusion as it relates to the Armed Forces and specifically the United States Marine Corps. After a comprehensive review of diversity challenges, the author compares the active component Marine Corps gender, minority, and religious diversity categories with other Services. The author concludes the Marine Corps must improve personnel policy and organizational culture to support an inclusive, diverse, multi-disciplinary workforce with the skills that can ensure it excels in a complex warfighting environment. The author provides specific recommendations for the Marine Corps can improve inclusion effectiveness by working toward these six recommendations over the next five years (2020-2025): (1) setting inclusive standards for combat roles and continuing gender integration while improving female retention; (2)beginning to gather sexual orientation data; (3) showing consistent, engaged leadership; (4) managing the culture clash and climate; (5) developing better measurements of diversity progress; and (6) publishing continuous effort. This thesis also provides two additional recommendations for improved long-term success beyond 2025.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1177745
Entities
People
- Rob Linn
Organizations
- Marine Corps University