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Z-Gram #119; dated 10 October 1973

Minority Affairs Assistants (MAA)

R 102314Z OCT 73
FM CNO (Z-119)

TO NAVOP

UNCLAS//N05350//
MINORITY AFFAIRS ASSISTANTS (MAA)

A. CNO MSG 172154Z DEC 70
B. OPNAVINST 5350.1

1. I EXPRESSED MY SUPPORT CONCERNING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICIES IN Z-66 REF (A) AND DIRECTED THAT EACH COMMAND APPOINT AN AWARE MINORITY AFFAIRS ASSISTANT TO ACT AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR COMMANDERS. AN ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR MINORITY AFFAIRS, COMPOSED OF WASHINGTON AREA FLAG OFFICERS, WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE POLICY GUIDANCE AND REVIEW. THIS ONGOING PROGRAM, THOUGH EFFECTIVE, NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED FROM A MINORITY EFFORT TO ONE ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. ACCORDINGLY, I HAVE REDESIGNATED MY MINORITY AFFAIRS ADVISORY COUNCIL AS MY ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT THIS BROADENED SCOPE OF CONCERN MORE ACCURATELY. THE CHARTER OF THE COUNCIL WAS EXPANDED CONCOMITANTLY. CHARTER EXCERPTS FOLLOW: “THE NAVY, AS A SEGMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DESIRES TO ENSURE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND TREATMENT FOR ALL PERSONNEL, REGARDLESS OF RACE, SEX, CREED OR NATIONAL ORIGIN, SO THAT THE HUMAN DIGNITY AND WORTH OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL SERVICEMAN AND WOMAN WILL BE PRESERVED. WHILE MAINTAINING FULL EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PRIMARY NAVY MISSIONS, WE, IN THE NAVY, MUST COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE HUMAN GOALS ENUNCIATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WHICH ASSERTS THAT IN ALL WE DO, WE MUST SHOW RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, RECOGNIZING HIS NEEDS, ASPIRATIONS AND CAPABILITIES.” HUMAN RELATIONS COUNCILS (HRC’S) HAVE BEEN REEMPHASIZED IN REF (B), SO AS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL NAVYMEN AND WOMEN. WITH THE INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ASSISTANTS IN MAJOR FLEET, FORCE AND TYPE COMMANDS AND FULLER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RACE RELATIONS PROGRAM, I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR EACH COMMAND TO HAVE A MINORITY AFFAIRS ASSISTANT SHALL BE REMOVED, EFFECTIVE 1 NOV 73. AT COMMAND DISCRETION, THESE DEDICATED ASSISTANTS MAY BE MADE MEMBERS OF THE HRC’S SO THAT THE EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE GAINED BY THESE FINE NAVYMEN AND WOMEN ARE NOT LOST. I ENVISION THE HRC’S AS VALUABLE ASSETS TO THEIR COMMANDS IN SUPPORT OF THE CHAIN OF COMMAND ACROSS THE ENTIRE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM. USING REF (B) AS GUIDANCE, EACH COMMAND’S HRC CHARTER MUST BE TAILORED TO FIT ITS SPECIFIC NEEDS, AREAS OF CONCERN AND SCOPE OF OPERATION.

2. I BELIEVE THAT WE IN THE NAVY ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TOWARD ACHIEVING AN EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION WITH TRUE EQUITABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL MEMBERS. E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

BT

_____________

ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS:
HRC: human relations councils
OPNAVINST: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction

[END]
Published: Thu Jan 06 10:12:34 EST 2022