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Part of the 2022 Army Communication Strategy addresses diversity/inclusion/culture under the topic of Army People Narrative.
Here at Fort Jackson we continue to find ways to improve our systems and actions to create a culture of diversity and inclusion. One recent change is how we form the basic combat training battalions at 120th Adjutant General (Reception) Battalion.
“There is a lot of work that goes on at the reception battalion to make sure we are reflective of society and every one of those platoons look like America,” said Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis. “We want to be diverse.
Trainees are sent to Fort Jackson from several areas around the country and are received by a particular region. For example on a Monday, all the trainees are from the same region and in the past were put directly into companies which form the battalions.
“Now we fill the two companies at a time and then a third one as the week continues,” said Lt. Col Avi Grein, 120th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception) commander. “We refer to it as our regional diversity effort and it allows us to start teaching the trainees immediately about learning and working with others they might not have known before.”
The Army is committed to building high performing and cohesive teams in an inclusive environment and Fort Jackson has now added another layer to how the teams are formed.
Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis, U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson commanding general, remembers when he went through basic training in 1990 and his battle buddy was a guy from India. “I had not been around anyone from India at that point in my life but knowing we are a melting pot—that happens here every 10 weeks,” he said. “That is such an important part of what we do here.”
Drill sergeants normally identify where trainees are from when they assign their battle buddy in an attempt to make a diverse team. Now it is an easier task because, while at the reception battalion, the unit is already filled deliberately with diversity in mind.
“We feel that having people from the same portion of the county doesn’t necessarily give them a new and broadening experience in training,” Grein said.
“So we mix and match so we get the experience of learning about each other and we are stronger when recognize the diversity of everybody and what they can bring to the table,” said Michaelis.
The Army did not direct this change. “This isn’t written down anywhere but it is something that we look at really hard,” said.
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2022 12:31 |
| Story ID: | 417177 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A new layer of addressing diversity at the beginning of basic training, by Leslie Ann Sully, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
