Take it From the Top: Senior Leaders’ Corner

"Americans are a unique people, a colorful tapestry of traditions and cultures woven into one vibrant society. The motto graven on our coins -- E Pluribus Unum -- reflects the rich diversity from which America draws its strength and vitality."
- President Ronald Reagan, September 20, 1986, Proclamation for Ethnic American Day.
The Illinois National Guard must reflect the diversity of both the State of Illinois and the United States of America. As President Reagan put it so eloquently, our nation's diversity is also our strength. "E Pluribus Unum" - From Many, One.
After I became The Adjutant General in May, you may have heard me say that I'm coming to a high school - or college - or vocational school - near you. The message I'm spreading is that if you are eligible or can become eligible for military service - no matter what your color, race, religious background, gender, or sexual orientation - then the Illinois National Guard has an opportunity for you.
Diversity is about including people from many different backgrounds and cultures - and their ideas and observations - into the defense of our state and nation. It ensures all have an equal opportunity to compete for advancement or specialized training. It is about the organization taking full advantage of our "colorful tapestry."
If you put the work in, this organization will offer continued opportunities for you to grow and develop. We will help you in your military and civilian careers and aspirations. We will recognize the time that your military commitment takes from your family by offering unique ways to enrich and strengthen your family life.
The data has shown that the Illinois National Guard for multiple years has done a fairly good job reflecting the State of Illinois in recruiting. There is still some work to be done, but, all-in-all, we are getting a good cross section of Illinois in our formations.
But recruiting is only one part of the equation. Retention is equally important. To retain talented people, we need take a good look in the mirror. The data has shown that as we move up in rank, we become less diverse. We are making progress in that area. If you look at the senior leadership now, we are more diverse than we were only a few years ago.
But there is still work to be done. Why do people of color and women leave the Illinois National Guard at greater percentages than white men? And what are those issues that lead people to leave the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard?
Some issues are at the national level, such as the lag in Army retention bonuses or student loan repayments. We must continue to do everything we can to address those issues here in Illinois and push our national leaders to help us resolve those problems. We recognize that reliable and expedient pay - no matter what type of pay - is vital to Soldier and Airman morale.
There are also many things unit commanders and senior enlisted leaders can do to retain Soldiers and Airmen. They can offer challenging and interesting readiness training every day you are in uniform. They can take steps to ensure you are part of the team and have opportunities based on your talent and work ethic regardless of your color, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.
They can help create a command climate free of sexual harassment and sexual assault. They can help create a supportive climate that helps address mental health issues free of stigma. They can help draw on community resources to help a Soldier or Airman struggling with addiction get back on the path to recovery.
And they can hold Soldiers and Airmen accountable for their actions. There also needs to be consequences for those who break the rules. Those consequences should be administered without malice and should be corrective. And they should be administered similarly and fairly - regardless of what the individual looks like.
In a 2019 study, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found "that Black, Hispanic, and male service-members were more likely than White or female members to be the subjects of investigations…and to be tried by general and special courts-martial in all of the military services when controlling for attributes such as rank and education."
This study spurred multiple studies by the military services that found the same discrepancies throughout the DoD. It would be naïve to think the Illinois National Guard is immune to the same type of discrimination.
Maintaining discipline and good order is vital to being an effective military. Unit commanders and senior enlisted leaders must hold their Soldiers and Airmen accountable. At the same time, take a good look at how you discipline and ensure you are being fair and unbiased.
We encourage Soldiers, Airmen, and civilian employees to maintain their individual readiness, build their resiliency skills, keep after their professional education, and uphold the Army and Air Force Values. One of the most important things they can do is tell their leadership how the Illinois National Guard is doing and what it will take to have them stick with the organization.
Soon you will be asked to take part in the Defense Organizational Climate Survey or DEOCS. We need to know your thoughts, no matter what your background might be.
When you are asked, TAKE THE SURVEY! The more information we have, the better we can address issues and build on strengths.
Your leaders will read and act upon those survey results. I am a great believer in servant leadership, and I know Maj. Gen. McDonough and Brig. Gen. Williams feel the same way. With all the years of experience and wisdom we've accumulated and even with the support of competent and knowledgeable staff and subordinate commanders, we don't always get it right all the time.
We need your feedback. With it, we can continually improve and prepare to accomplish our state missions and to fight and win our nation's wars.