Focus - Leadership and Culture Reflections on the 2021 CNAF DEI Summit By LT Eli "Ham" Sinai, USN
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couple months ago, I attended the inaugural Naval Aviation Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit in San Diego, California alongside our faithful Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short, and nearly 300 other volunteer aviators representing the full spectrum of the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE). After the release of NAVADMIN 188/20, I found myself eager to learn how the NAE planned to tackle our own diversity and inclusion issues, and hoped that the CNAF DEI Summit would provide clarity on the solutions our leadership intended to pursue. Though I felt as though the CNO’s directives, the establishment of Task Force One Navy (TF1N), and the Summit all indicated positive momentum and unity of effort to confront issues related to diversity, racism, and equity, I still reserved skepticism about whether these milestones were more politically motivated than authentic plans for action. Basically, I was unsure if our leaders were prepared to put their money where their mouths were. The CNAF DEI Summit exceeded my expectations. I was surprised by personal accounts of Naval Aviators, both former and current, who have experienced acts of racism, sexism, or bigotry in their professional careers. I was challenged to consider perspectives, other than my own, as well as barriers to equity that still exist in our policies and our culture. Lastly, I was confronted by the work I need to do on myself as a leader in order to better respond to the needs of the people I serve. The CNAF DEI Summit included keynote speakers, a flag panel, and a town hall meeting with the Air Boss in order to address specific barriers faced by minority aviators and to provide leadership development opportunities through educational seminars. I was impressed by the tone senior leadership set for the Summit. Rear Admiral Alvin Holsey, the former Director of Task Force One Navy (TF1N) and Commander, Navy Personnel Command (NPC), kicked off the first morning of events by detailing the findings and nearly sixty recommendations of the Task Force’s 142-page report “meant to enhance the Navy’s overall diversity and ensure that a culture of inclusivity is evident at every command.” TF1N has already provided the framework to confront the gaps in our diversity and is actively implementing its measures to ensure future representation that reflects our society. If you have not yet read the report, I urge you to do so now and finish this article when you’re done! Though the discussion of TF1N and future plans reassured the Summit’s audience of the Navy’s plans for DEI progress, the Summit’s leadership sought to further facilitate tough conversations about the present issues we face within our ranks. On the first day of the CNAF DEI Summit, we were cautioned by the CNAF DEI Team’s Director, Commander
Rotor Review #155 Winter '22
Chris “Frozone” Williams, that the intent for the Summit was to get uncomfortable while identifying the challenges faced by our diverse naval aviators. The Summit laid out the following objectives: • Identify and address minority issues • Give voice to diverse naval aviators • Educate – develop awareness/take leadership into the workplace • Promote mentorship for diverse aviators We were asked to listen to the lived, firsthand experiences of fellow Naval Aviators who have experienced discrimination, to reflect on our own leadership challenges, and to acknowledge the areas in which we as a fighting force fall short in supporting our people. On the first morning of the two-day long Summit, I had the pleasure of meeting CDR Lin Walton, USN (Ret.). Lin strode up to my friends and me to thank us simply for participating in the conference, and then proceeded to share a brief story of his background. Lin was one of the first 30 or fewer AfricanAmerican Pilots in the Navy, and is a fellow rotary-wing aviator from the HSL Community. He majored in Physics at Norfolk State University, a historically black college (HBCU), and made his way to Pensacola in 1966 for AOCS where, at the time, African-Americans still could not go to restaurants, bars, or even the beach. Despite the prejudice, inequity, and injustice he witnessed and endured firsthand throughout his time in service, Lin achieved extraordinary success in Naval Aviation and now, as a pillar of the community, continues to advocate and pave the way for the next generation of minority pilots and STEM students by investing in their education. Lin is a living example of the triumph of character and resilience in the face of adversity. Lin and I quickly realized that we shared a lot in common. We both played rugby, though he played on the US National team and was far more successful than I ever was, and we were both QAOs at an East Coast FRS. While we share many similarities, there is a clear disparity between our professional experiences due to the colors of our skin and the eras in which we served. I’m a straight white male living in the 21st Century. I’ve never been prohibited from restaurants or bars, discriminated against while applying for housing, been the only service member in an O-Club to have my ID randomly checked, nor barred from staying in motels on my various PCSs across the country. Obviously much has changed over the last several decades, but Lin explained to me that to this day, his white counterparts just would not understand the nuance of the discrimination he has experienced while serving his country. As someone who has never endured similar prejudice, I was left considering some of the overlooked experiences my fellow Aviators still have to overcome while
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