US: Esper order aims to expand diversity, skirts major decisions

Defense Secretary Mark Esper took steps Wednesday to expand diversity within military and reduce prejudice, but he skirted several major decisions, including wher to ban Confederate flag at defence installations.

In a four-p memo, Esper ordered all military services to stop providing service members' photos for promotion boards, directed a review of hairstyle and grooming policies, and called for improved training and data collection on diversity. Absent from memo was any mention of issues that have roiled nation — efforts to ban Confederate flag and a growing movement to remove Confederate statutes and rename military bases horing Confederate leaders.

Confederate flags, monuments and military base names have become a national flashpoint in weeks since death of George Floyd. Protesters decrying racism have targeted Confederate monuments in multiple cities. Some state officials are considering taking m down, but y face vehement opposition in some areas.

A draft policy circulated by Pentagon leaders more than a week ago would have banned display of Confederate flag in Defense Department workplaces or public areas by service members and civilian personnel. It said a ban would preserve “ morale of our personnel, good order and discipline within military ranks and unit cohesion.” That policy was never finalized or signed, and instead officials say it is w being revised.

President Donald Trump has flatly rejected any tion of changing base names, and has defended flying of Confederate flag, saying it’s a freedom of speech issue. Esper spent last Friday with Trump in Florida, but it’s unclear if y talked about flag ban.

Marine Corps and U.S. commands in Korea and Japan have already banned display of Confederate flag, saying it can inflame division and weaken unit cohesion. Navy, Air Force and Army were all ready to do same, but ir progress was halted when Esper made it kwn he wanted to develop one consistent policy.

Some of orders in Esper’s memo released Wednesday are already in effect by military services, but his directive is a move to also make those policies more consistent.

For example, he ordered military to longer include photos of service members when y are being considered by a promotion board. This would mark a change for Navy and Marine Corps. But, Air Force removed photos from promotion boards more than a decade ago, and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy anunced last month that beginning in August his service would longer include m.

Navy eliminated photos in 2016, n added m back in 2018 after members of promotion boards complained. y said photos aided ir ability to assess a service member's “ability to perform duties of next higher grade,” according to 2018 memo. Marines have always included photos.

Army officials last month said y were eliminating photos because a study showed y could make a difference in some promotion boards. study suggested that when photo is t included, it took board members less time to vote, ir scores were more closely aligned and “ outcomes for mirities and women improved.”

Esper's memo, however, left or promotion board issues unresolved and subject to furr review, including wher services should redact box on form that identifies a person’s race or wher a person’s name — which in some cases could indicate race or — should also be removed.

He also ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies, which all military services have done multiple times in recent years. y have all loosened restrictions, particularly on women's hair, to allow for more ethnic hairstyles, including various braids and larger buns.

Esper also has asked that every time he receives a promotion list from one of services, it includes a review that shows racial make-up of pool of candidates and also of group getting promoted.

services have historically compiled that data, and it is always provided to secretary with promotion results for higher ranks — one star and above. For years, it was also provided for lower ranks, but in 2009, department switched to an annual report, and stopped providing it to defense chief for each promotion list.

A senior defense official said giving secretary review for every list is meant to identify any potential problems or lack of diversity and wasn't expected to affect promotion results. official spoke on condition of anymity to describe a personnel issue.

Esper also met Wednesday with his newly formed Board on Diversity and Inclusion, which is expected to identify potential policy changes over coming months. It will deliver a final report in December, and n be replaced by a permanent commission.