NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy took a major step in fighting racial bias and inequality in the ranks Wednesday with the release of a critical document from Task Force One Navy.
The Navy established the task force in summer of 2020 in the midst of the national unrest that came after the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, a Black man, died after a White police officer in Minneapolis was recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck as he took him into custody in May.
Navy leaders determined they "needed to seize this moment," and the mission of Task Force One Navy was to identify and eliminate individual and systemic racism and eradicate discrimination.
As part of the work, the Navy conducted more than 300 listening sessions and more than 1,000 online surveys with active duty and reserve sailors.
The task force put together 56 recommendations in its final report.
"In the Navy, and the military, we tackle hard problems," said Force Master Chief Huben Phillips. "But race at large has always been taboo. It's something we never talked about."
But, they should have.
A Military Times survey from 2020 found that 36% of all active-duty troops claimed they personally had seen examples of White supremacy and racism within the military.
Some 43% of the 1.3 million men and women on active duty in the United States military are people of color. Yet, in some career fields of the Navy, African Americans are few and far between.
Of 3,000 active-duty Navy SEALs, only 3% are African American.
A little more than 2% of Navy pilots are Black.
Racial challenges exist in the military justice system as well.
A 2020 Government Accountability Office report found that Black service members were about twice as likely as White service members to be tried in general and special courts-martial.
"We've got a way to cover here, some ground to cover," said Rear Admiral Alvin Holsey. "I do think this is going to lay the foundation to get us where we need to go."
Holsey is optimistic the report provides a blueprint for lasting change.
"It has to be enduring," he said. "We don't want to come back ten years from now and say, what happened to those 56 recommendations?"
One key recommendation is attracting and retaining Black sailors.
"Not only getting them in the door, but getting them in the door and keeping them, which goes to our second line of effort: talent management and retention," said Holsey. "So, bringing sailors in and making sure they have an honest shot to succeed."
Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will direct a military-wide stand down to address extremism within the ranks.
Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday that Austin wants all military units to take an operational pause to discuss extremism as he works to grasp the full scope of the issue and better address the longstanding problem.
John Kirby, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, told reporters Wednesday that the pauses are expected to occur within 60 days, but Austin has yet to determine how the stand downs are to be completed.