Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice

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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Equal Opportunity Brief Presented by Mary G.
Jones Director, EO Programs U.S. Army Signal
Center Fort Gordon Fort Gordon, Georgia
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Harmony
Human Dimensions of Readiness AR 600-20
On/Off Duty
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Dynamic Changes
1999
1998
480,000 soldiers
1971 DRRI
DEOMI
1991
Desert Storm
1990
1973
Vietnam
1968
1964
1952
Korean War
1949
1945
WW II
1939
189,839 soldiers
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Extremist Task Force
Jan/Feb 96 - EATF traveled to 28 installations
Leadership In Action
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www.adl.org/hate_symbols
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Sexual Harassment
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
November 1996

• Serious allegations of sexual impropriety

Pre-command Course
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
EO/SH Findings
Chain of Command Accountability

• inadequate leader presence

• leadership did not perceive extent of problem

• multiple focus of senior leadership

• incomplete preparation of leaders

• inadequate senior NCO involvement

• inconsistent procedures quality of

unit investigations
EO Advisors not properly used by Commanders
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
SRP Significant Findings
Gender discrimination is more common than SH.
Many leaders have not gained the trust and
confidence
of their soldiers.
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Trust
Throughout the war you were always on my mind.
I knew that if I were in trouble and you were
still alive You would come to my
assistance. -- Grant To Sherman
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Impact of Findings

• New Policies
• Fraternization Policy
• More Oversight
• Gender Integrated Training
• New Reports Required
• Sexual Misconduct Report
• Legislative Requirements
• Complaint Process

Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Human Relations
Human Relations is treating others with dignity
and respect -- incorporating their individual
talents to the success of the team.

• Maximizes the soldiers awareness of how their
  individual actions affect others,
• Emphasizes respect between and for soldiers of
  all races, creeds, gender, or national/ethnic
  heritage,
• Enables soldiers to clearly understand the
  linkage between their actions toward others, and
  their units ability to accomplish the mission.

Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Diversity is how we are the same
and how we are different.
HOW WE ARE THE SAME
HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT
Sworn to Support Defend
Language Gender Color of Skin Age Religion
the U.S. Constitution
Belief in a Philosophy That Treats
Others as They Should Be Treated
Institutional Values
A Common Mission
COHESION READINESS
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Its The Climate
A command climate is a shared feeling. A
perception among the members of a unit about what
life is like. This perception is based on their
understanding of how they will be treated -
whether leadership cares about them personally
and professionally. This perception also depends
on what professional opportunities they see
within the command.
LTG Larry Ellis Deputy Chief
of Operations and Plans Dec 99
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Shaping the Future
Understanding differences Consideration of
Others Program Recognize and capitalize on our
cultural diversity An appreciation of cultural
diversity Manage differences to achieve
institutional cohesion Molding diversity to work
in a more complex, high-tech environment
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Consideration of Others
Outcome

• Individual Soldier Responsibility
• Cohesion
• Team Building
• Understanding
• Increased Readiness
• A Healthy Human Relations / Command Climate

Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Soldiers Trust
Chain of Command
Chaplain
Inspector General
Equal Opportunity Advisor
Leadership In Action
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What is an Equal Opportunity Advisor?

• They Are
• Advisors on Human Relations Subjects
• Subject Matter Experts on Consideration of Others
• Policy Developers on EO / Sexual Harassment
  issues
• Community Liaison
• Certified Mediators
• Change Agents

• They are not
• Unit Spies
• Mission Distracters
• Headhunters
• Owners of the Commanders Equal Opportunity
  Program

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Case Studies

• Sexual Harassment
• Pacific Islander Male MSG of the DOIM takes
  donuts, muffins, coffee each morning to Asian
  Female (Civilian) Computer Specialist. No one is
  present when he stops by her office. On
  Organization Day when the office was empty except
  for the Civilian worker, the MSG returns, grabs
  her from behind and whispers I came back because
  I thought you needed a hug. She pulls away and
  runs from the building

• Outcome
• Employee reports incident to first level
  supervisor who tells her to let him know if it
  happens again. Director contacts EEO to
  straighten things out and no inquiries are
  initiated. Commander is totally unaware of the
  incident. Employee fears for her safety and
  quits.

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Case Studies

• Outcome
• Soldier reported the incident to her Company
  Commander. Commander contacts the EO Office for
  assistance. EOO and the Commander visit the
  Child Support Recovery Office. After speaking
  with the manager, an investigation is conducted.
  Although the agency would not divulge the action
  take, the employee was found to no longer work
  there. The soldiers case assigned a new
  caseworker and processed. The soldier receives
  the child support payments.

• Sexual Harassment
• Male case worker at the Child Support
  Recovery Unit requests sexual favors of female
  soldier who is attempting to initiate procedures
  for receiving child support. The caseworker know
  there is a time crunch because the babys Father
  is leaving the country. When she refuses his
  advances he sends her across town to get a form
  knowing he has the forms in his desk. He also
  knows the office is closed. When the soldier
  calls him back, he tells her he thinks she has
  nice breasts and would like to see them when she
  returns to his office.

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Case Studies

• Outcome
• Pending.

• Hostile Environment
• 4 Trainees visit the EO Office 1 female, 3
  males. The soldiers complain about an instructor
  who makes repeated sexually explicit remarks and
  gestures. The instructor not only talks of his
  own sexual prowess, but also the sexual prowess
  of his younger brother. The incidences were
  reported to the MSG, NCOIC who came to the class
  and explained to the soldiers that they should
  not complain about anyone who outranked them. He
  also stated their conditions were maybe too soft
  and should perhaps be hardened.

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Case Studies

• Race and Gender
• Soldier believes her NCOIC is prejudice and
  provides evidence showing the possibility that
  she may be given a harder time that her peers.
  The investigation reveals that the chain of
  command believes the soldier to be a trouble
  maker and subordinate. However there are no
  counseling statements or any evidence of attempts
  to correct the behavior. The findings are that
  treatment is unfair and is borderline
  discrimination. Therefore the allegations are
  unsubstantiated. The soldier appeals. The next
  level commander is a General Officer.
• The appellate commander determines that the
  investigation is sufficient and issues letters of
  concern to both the complainant and the accused.
  
• The complainant files an allegation of
  reprisal against the General Officer.

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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
Our Challenge
To build strong bonds between leadership and
those led by providing an environment that
instills trust, promotes an equal chance for
success and ensures Equal Opportunity based on
individual talent, industry, and performance.
LTG (RET) Robert E. Gray U.S. Army, Retired 4
Feb 00
Leadership In Action
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Fort Gordon The Installation of Choice!
READINESS
Leadership In Action