Diversity and Inclusion:
Driving the USCG Auxiliary Rev. V
By Michael Neuman 091-18-11
[Author's Note: I, at times, have not been a shining light and have not always lived up to the ideas, challenges and principals noted in this piece. Practicing inclusion and diversity is a never-ending challenge that constantly needs improving on my part.]
Our Auxiliary is a diverse organization. It's members serve the Coast Guard in multiple areas which encourages variety in our missions, training, and qualifications. We have become qualified in Vessel Safety Checks, boating safety course instruction, boat crew and operational support. Additionally, we have developed skills to address more non-traditional mission areas such as interpreter, health services support and the Auxiliary culinary assistance missions.
Expansion of these skills has greatly led to our capacity to augment the Coast Guard ashore, afloat on various cutters around the world, and deployments for duty in foreign countries with vastly different cultures and spiritual practices. These expanded mission areas have resulted in a need for multilingual members with experience growing up, living in and working in countries where the culture is vastly different from the majority traditional Judeo-Christian culture of our country.
The Auxiliary has become a more diverse non-military group of volunteers that serve the Coast Guard in its ever-expanding need for qualified people in the growing missions of non-traditional areas. These new mission opportunities are supported by Auxiliary members participating regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. This has been the result of our recruitment efforts, which encourage everyone to share in our passion to serve.
For The Auxiliary to continue thriving and serving the Coast Guard in expanding mission opportunities, the Auxiliary at all levels, needs to continually focus on our organization as one group with a common set of goals and values while serving the Coast Guard regardless of our biases outside the organization. Currently, successful companies embrace this philosophy in the workplace to attract and retain talented people of all races, ethnicities, and transgender/sexual orientations in their organizations.
We need to value the concepts of diversity and inclusion to create an environment where everyone is encouraged to expand their qualifications without prejudice or judgement in order to grow our membership and mission to assist the Coast Guard.
This concept may be difficult for some long-term members to embrace, but everyone in the Auxiliary deserves to be treated with dignity, kindness, respect and without judgement regardless of our personal beliefs. How will those in the Auxiliary Chain of Leadership and Management address the issue of re-thinking our organizational culture to recruit younger people from diverse backgrounds and to retain them in the organization? The political, ethnic, and racial differences have never been greater.
Encouraging the retaining and recruitment of a more inclusive and diverse membership in the Auxiliary requires a shift in our ethos and culture. The different ethnicities, spirituality, and cultures of people today are not the same as they were decades ago. Who we are as members is now different. What members are looking for from the Auxiliary is different. The emphasis on being virtually connected in the workplace and in our personal life is more complex and multi-layered as it now includes the numerous social and news information available for consumption on the numerous media outlets. Our country's demographics have changed. And the acceptance and inclusion of people from diverse cultures, religions and sexual orientations has also changed.
This reality presents real challenges to members in their service to the Auxiliary. What do you think would be the reaction if an Auxiliarist moderating a meeting or training at D-Train asked members to write on their name cards provided at check-in, theiroffices held as well as preferred pronouns (she/her, they/them, he/him) regardless of if it reflected their sexual orientation or gender at birth?
What would you do if you were in a group where the majority assumed that everyone identified with their gender at birth and were making disparaging remarks about transgendered and LBGTQ individuals? Would you let them know you were uncomfortable at the time, or would you wait to talk with each person present when you were alone with the various individuals? Would you let the remarks slide? How about if ethnic or racial slurs were bantered about?
The Auxiliary must recognize and embrace these differences. They need to become part of our ethos and values. These are the questions the Auxiliary must answer in the coming years requiring honest and open discussions as we find our way forward. I hope that as a member, you'll stay active in the Auxiliary, contribute your ideas, and continue your valuable service in support of the Auxiliary and USCG.