Improving the Civil-Military Relationship: Diversity and the U.S. Army

Abstract

Although the U.S. Army has significantly increased racial diversity in the aggregate, non-white Americans remain underrepresented as commissioned officers, especially in the General Officer ranks. This is a significant defense policy problem because research shows a strong correlation among the diversity of senior leaders and effectively processing complex information to generate innovative, creative, and efficient solutions. These positive traits of diversity will help General Officers prepare for and manage the long-term and strategic threats posed by peer or near-peer competitors and violent non-state actors. Increased diversity also improves the civil-military relationship by ensuring Army Generals mirror the nation they serve and the soldiers they lead. This paper addresses the lack of racial diversity among U.S. Army General Officers by using descriptive statistical analysis to outline racial diversity trends over the past 10-years and then identifying where and how policies can be most effective. The paper’s findings provide policy makers three options to increase U.S. Army General’s racial diversity.