U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)’s Post

The U.S. Department of Labor’s CEO and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service are pleased to invite you to the third of three sessions in a series of research roundtables on challenges and promising practices related to Black Veteran employment barriers and interventions. The current body of research—though incomplete—suggests key challenges, factors, and strategies to be considered in designing services and supports for Black service members and Veterans in their transition from military to civilian employment. A panel of subject matter experts together discuss the current state of research in the field, identify promising practices that can be applied more widely, and consider potential research avenues to support Black Veteran employment outcomes and career success within the civilian labor force. Key topics to be presented include: • Research findings on services and interventions that support Black Veterans’ employment and career success. • Interventions designed to reduce employment barriers for Black Veterans. • Gaps in the existing research base and opportunities and priorities for bridging the gaps. https://lnkd.in/dQWvtjiD

Good article about the dangers of killing DEI regarding prosperity. Equally important is the danger to national security. Her comments about Reagan's playbook and the bedrock from which it was built are accurate. One of Reagan's lasting and consequential decisions was to name an aircraft carrier for a white supremacist, a decision that has impacted the mental well-being of thousands of sailors and Marines who have served (and will continue to) in USS John C Stennis, and sent a message to the world regarding white supremacy. How does the "Inclusion" mantra work in that scenario? Included in rendering honors to someone on a daily basis who worked his entire life to make sure you were NOT included? Decisions have consequences. Indecision does too. This book looks like one CEO's, DOD officials and military leaders should read. https://lnkd.in/eAK5NJvJ

I took my first Oath of Office on July 6, 1984, in Tecumseh Court, Annapolis, MD. It was the first time in my life that I swore to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." I took the Oath of Office again in 1988 when I was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. I repeated the oath in 1990 when I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, in 1993 to Captain, in 1998 to Major, and for the last time in Iraq in 2004 when I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. The words of the oath never changed. On November 18, 2016, I swore in my nephew as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps, and on May 15, 2023, I swore in my daughter as an Ensign in the US Navy. The words of the Oath were identical to the words I repeated 6 times myself. Our military has one purpose, which is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. In 1984, we were taught that readiness was paramount, and this approach proved effective for decades and generations. We successfully deterred threats, took actions when necessary, and influenced outcomes as directed by the President of the United States. In my squadrons, every Marine was a Marine. Yep... we were different in demographics: we were Hispanic, Black, White, and Asian. Some came from cities. Some from farms. Most of us were students in public school systems. But we had one thing in common: We were all US Marines. SENIOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN LEADERS: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Today's society is certainly different than it was 40 years ago... and how we motivate an all-volunteer force continues to evolve. Why do you think that $400,000 cash bonuses to pilots (in particular) are achieving less than the forecasted retention rates? Because they hate money? 😶 Why do you think fewer young men and women are enlisting? Why is there a JO retention crisis across all services? LOOK IN THE MIRROR... IS YOUR KID JOINING??? Mine did. Does America want a military that can kick the crap out of all our enemies, rebuild schools, and deter bad actors from doing stupid things? YES! Does America want a military that gives every recruit and JO an unbiased and equal opportunity to rise to the highest positions of leadership? YES! I say all this as a dad of a Sailor, a combat-wounded veteran, and a grateful citizen of our incredible nation. People can bitch all they want... but there is NO PLACE more free than our country. Are we perfect? No. But we're always striving for it. So figure this out NOW. We're counting on you. And if you can't do it, have the courage to step aside, and let someone else do it. PS: And before you say, "easy for a white guy named Jamie to say..." - I'm brown, short, did rural public schools, and grew up in a blue-collar household. #nationalsecurity #diversity #america

The animating idea behind the White House Fellowship is John W. Gardner’s spare and bracing observation: “Freedom and responsibility, liberty and duty. That’s the deal.” The White House Fellows program changed my life. I learned invaluable lessons of leadership and service - and created some of the most durable and important relationships of my life during my Fellowship year. Check out this webinar - or please share it with promising young leaders in your networks. #publicservice #civicengagement #citizenship

Congratulations to Navy Federal Credit Union and the other companies who were recognized on our 2023 Best of the Best Top Veteran-Friendly Companies list. We celebrate you for recognizing the value veteran employees bring to companies. Click below to see the list of honorees. If you're interested in submitting a survey for consideration for next year's list, please email [email protected]. #bestemployer #topcompanies #veteransaffairs #veteranentrepreneur #vets #veteranshelpingveterans #veteranstrong #veteransemployment #veterancommunity #veteransupport #veteranownedbusiness #veteranownedandoperated #military #militaryspouses #militaryspouseemployment #militaryfamilies #veterans #share #veteranbusiness #veteranjobs #marine #disabledveteran #womanveteran #army #navy #airforce #armyveteran #marineveteran #veteranowned #armystrong #business #career #education #military #veterans #pilots #militarytransition #sdvosb #service

DIVERSE FORCE NECESSARY TO WIN WARS It’s a fair question to ask: please explain precisely how diversity enhances war fighting prowess, lethality and unit cohesion? The last war we won was Desert Storm. Before that, we only won WWII (and lost in Korea and Vietnam). Compare and contrast the force that won Desert Storm (or WWII) to the force we have today. Why do you believe this is a winning combination? Especially in light of Kabul 2022?

Towards a Deeper Understanding: As Chair of the Black Chamber of Orange County Business Development Committee, I congratulate and applaud the work Bobby McDonald, President of the Black Chamber is doing on behalf of Black Veterans. Improving employment opportunities and access to procurement opportunities move our veterans toward economic equity. Here he is pictured with Michael Theard of the Department of Labor. In FY23, as part of the agency’s greater DEIA efforts, VETS launched Phase One of its Black Veterans Research Project. This initial phase of the Black Veterans Research Project—conducted in collaboration with DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office (CEO)—was the starting point to building a strong knowledge base regarding the employment outcomes and experiences of Black veterans. The output from this initial phase includes a literature review and three-part roundtable discussion series. These artifacts can be accessed on VETS’ website here, Black Veterans Research | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov). In Phase Two, VETS will seek stakeholder insight to identify how our programs can effectively improve employment and wage outcomes for Black veterans.

A few weeks ago Code Switch dropped an episode that is a must-listen for everyone following the implications of SCOTUS' affirmative action ban. I was surprised to learn that not all colleges were banned from considering race in admissions - military service academies still can. These five selective institutions that serve like 0.1% of all college students were allowed to maintain diversity initiatives due to them having "potentially distinct interests". This episode of Code Switch details the history of how and why the military came to recognize the importance of diversity in its officer corps, including the 1969 Camp Lejeune Incident and racial hostility during the Vietnam War. The end result was a congressional decision to ensure that the military's officers reflect the diversity of the country (which by the way still hasn't happened yet, but that's a story for another day). A couple of thoughts here: • It's wild to me that we can simultaneously recognize racism not only exists and requires redress within the military, but not in any other higher education institution when there is PLENTY of history to look at. Consider the antiwar protests at UC Berkeley in 1968 that led to the birth of the modern Asian American movement. • It's also so heartbreaking to hear this quote in the podcast from Westpoint alum Mary Tobin: "Affirmative action is good enough for Black folks to die on behalf of this country, but it's not good enough for Black folks to have access to becoming among the best lawyers, teachers, doctors, engineers, artists that this country has to offer. I can die for this country, but I certainly can't learn and instruct and save and build." • Even now, the conservative activist group behind all this is gearing up for more lawsuits. They're coming after the military service academies, and in the corporate space, we're seeing legal firms and corporate entities rename or entirely drop diversity-focused programming. To those who say this is all for the better because the prior legal grounds we had for diversity was weak, and we should have framed this around anti-racism and equity from the beginning - I get that. But also these decisions have a real impact here and now on the distribution of opportunity and power via education. We need to be organizing together just as much as our opponents are. https://lnkd.in/guhzJQ6R

We're all looking for the best talent 👀 and many of us succeed in onboarding diverse professionals...then fail to retain them in the first 3 years🤦🏾♀️. Why is that?🤔 If you're losing your minority talent in the first 3 years...its worth a deeper dive. Get your scuba gear ready 🤿😅 Join this event to hear our theories on how to retain diverse talent in key national security positions. #retention #hiring #diversity #blackspeakers #blackleaders