Washington, DC—On Tuesday, March 6, 2012, Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, Senator Ben Cardin, and the Congressional Tri-Caucus (Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus) will host a forum to examine the status of efforts by the Department of Defense and Coast Guard to institute recommendations made nearly one year ago by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission.

Members will hear from senior officials from each branch of the Armed Services on actions taken to address the Commission’s recommendations and progress on promotion, retention, and recruitment of racial and ethnic minorities and women.  The Commission’s report, From Representation to Inclusion:  Diversity Leadership for the 21st Century Military, found that “racial/ethnic minorities and women are still underrepresented among the Armed Forces’ top leadership, compared with the service members they lead.”  Recent cases of severe hazing, such as the death of Congresswoman Judy Chu’s nephew Harry Lew, raise additional questions about equal treatment and opportunity for servicemembers and highlight the need for diversity in military leadership.

In 2008, Cummings, Cardin, and other Members worked to create the Commission as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2009.  Last year, Cummings and Cardin hosted a forum on military diversity with Commission members. 

WHEN:           Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.

WHERE:        Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 628

WHO:            

Panel One:

• General Lester L. Lyles, Chairman, Military Leadership Diversity Commission, U. S. Air Force, Retired
• Major General Antonio T. Taguba, U.S. Army, Retired

Panel Two:

• Mr. Clarence Johnson, Principal Director for Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, Office of the Secretary of Defense  
• Mr. Larry Stubblefield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity and Leadership
• Rear Admiral Anthony M. Kurta, Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy (N13), United States Navy
• Mr. Mike Applegate, Director, Manpower Plans and Policies, United States Marines
• Dr. Jarris Louis Taylor Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for the Strategic Diversity Integration
• Rear Admiral Ronald T. Hewitt, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources, United States Coast Guard
• Mr. Louis A. Cabrera, Comptroller and Director, Administration and Management, National Guard Bureau