Return to Promotion photos?

[RoarkJr.]

Hereâs why the Marine Corps is considering returning to promotion photos

Photo removal has led to decreased diversity, according to senior Marine and Navy leaders.

www.marinecorpstimes.com

So we remove the photo requirement to root out and snuff systemic racism and bias. But then we have less diverse pool of people getting promoted. So now we bring the photos back.

What do less qualified people do exactly to help accomplish the mission better than if more qualified people were promoted?

 

[Mos]

Sounds the perennial case of flag officer getting antsy and feeling like they need to change something to justify their position.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I guess colorblind isn’t what we were really going for because after all… dIverSiTy iS oUr sTreNgTh

 

[Brett327]

Yeah, I read that piece earlier. Counter-intuitive that no pics would reduce diversity. Tough to really know what the impact is after just 1 year of no pictures, and they didn't elaborate on the specifics. Need to know more, but it seems dumb to reverse course this soon.

 

[HAL Pilot]

So the new DON policy is going to be diversity through affirmative action?

 

[DanMa1156]

I try to think of the positive side of things and not the conspiratorial side of things, but when CNP makes comments like the ones quoted below (from the article), it's hard not to think they only care about the color of skin, not the meritocracy nor diversity in experience.

“It’s a meritocracy, we’re only going to pick the best of the best, but we’re very clear with our language... that we want them to consider diversity across all areas. Right? And therefore ... I think having a clear picture on this just makes it easier. So actually our data show that it would support adding photos back in.”

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I try to think of the positive side of things and not the conspiratorial side of things, but when CNP makes comments like the ones quoted below (from the article), it's hard not to think they only care about the color of skin, not the meritocracy nor diversity in experience.

Not really a conspiracy when someone flat out says what they want to do

 

[HSMPBR]

Counter-intuitive that no pics would reduce diversity. Tough to really know what the impact is after just 1 year of no pictures

It is not counter-intuitive. If diversity increased after removing photos, it would indicate that promotions were previously partially based on skin color (in the bad racist way). If diversity stayed the same, it would indicate that the best and fully qualified were being selected with no apparent consideration for skin color. If diversity decreased, it would indicate that promotions were partially based on skin color (in the good Equity way).

In 2016, promotion board photos were removed because, “we believe that by removing the officers' photographs from selection boards, it will allow board members to concentrate more fully on the individual's overall performance record." Two years later, they returned because board members said they helped… In 2020, photos went away again to eliminate racial bias (the bad racist kind). Now, CNP is saying we eliminated the wrong racial bias after using two data points covering three years of promotion boards. The “individual's overall performance record” is not enough—melanin and assumptions about how that skin color must have affected the officer's path are desired factors for promotion.

I think the officer corps should look like America too. We need the ranks to be 49% female and 1% other including command, major command, and flag. We should do it via selections and promotions, never mind how much of the eligible population is volunteering for service. Would anyone have a problem with that?

 

[picklesuit]

I think the tanks should be representative of the qualified and willing population, not the overall population.

The majority of Americans are medically and physically unfit to serve. The comorbidities that makes one more likely to be unfit isn’t spread equally across the population (reference the COVID thread for more details)

If 49% of the applicants for a commission/enlistment were female and they were not advancing and getting in at the same rate as their male counterparts, I’d see some room for complaint, but I don’t think that is the issue.

I’m too lazy to dig up the stats, but there are a variety of reasons the military, and the officer corps in particular, and naval aviation above that, skews white and male.

Fixing it by finding Waldo during a tank isn’t the solution, you need to fix the population sourcing the feed end of the pump.

Pickle

 

[scoolbubba]

I try to think of the positive side of things and not the conspiratorial side of things, but when CNP makes comments like the ones quoted below (from the article), it's hard not to think they only care about the color of skin, not the meritocracy nor diversity in experience.

Yea. That quote is saying something and then following it up with a bunch of newspeak that completely negates the meaning of the word meritocracy. Color me shocked.

 

[DanMa1156]

Yea. That quote is saying something and then following it up with a bunch of newspeak that completely negates the meaning of the word meritocracy. Color me shocked.

Yeah my first thought was, "well, uh, that's not meritocracy as I understand it."

 

[Hotdogs]

I just don’t want fat and unhealthy people to get promoted in the Marines.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I just don’t want fat and unhealthy people to get promoted in the Marines.

Just stick with your normal mentally challenged recruits and the Marines will be fine.

Yut Yut Devil Dog <knife hand>

 

[A Day In The Life]

I just don’t want fat and unhealthy people to get promoted in the Marines.

Too bad the airlines still don't feel the same way

 

[Griz882]

Right…now where do I send this?