The authors identified gaps, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and reported problems in the military racial grievance system through an examination of policies and structures and offered recommendations to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the armed forces.

Envisioning a New Racial Grievance Reporting and Redress System for the United States Military

Focused Analysis on the Department of the Air Force

Dwayne M. Butler, Sarah W. Denton, Chong H. Gregory, Albert M. Esposito, Ignacio A. Lara, Leslie Adrienne Payne, Jeannette Tsuei, Michael J. Gaines

ResearchPublished Jan 18, 2024

A better understanding of the weaknesses and strengths of the military’s racial grievance reporting and redress system is needed to understand where and how it can be improved to encourage racial grievance reporting, facilitate timely and effective responses, and promote a more inclusive environment to better support the careers, satisfaction, and well-being of minority service members. The authors identified gaps, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and reported problems in the military racial grievance system through an examination of policies and structures and offered recommendations to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the armed forces.

Key Findings

  • Historical patterns of disparities are embedded in policy and practice.
  • A proficiency gap exists in the commanders' role in the racial grievance reporting and redress system—they are not experts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) but have much decisionmaking authority.
  • Cultural barriers present obstacles at the individual, unit, and institutional levels.
  • Perceptions of risk to one's professional career might outweigh willingness to report grievances.
  • The policies are vague and use suggestive rather than directive language.
  • The racial grievance reporting and redress system lacks transparency and holistic policy or guidance, and no single organization has the necessary investigative authorities.

Recommendations

  • Identify and address the root causes of disparities in discipline, standardize reporting data, and promote support services to the aggrieved.
  • Incorporate checks and balances on commander decision authority, consider an objective independent body to investigate and recommend redress options, and document all actions.
  • Improve education on DEI and retaliation, publicly commit to changing institutional culture, and assess individual attitudes and unit cultures.
  • Strengthen policy language by using directive language; setting standards for fair, equitable, and nondiscriminatory behavior; and using an accountability mechanism in the event of failure to meet those standards.
  • Reduce organization complexity (for example, by providing guidance that holistically describes the military racial grievance reporting and redress system), adopt an organizational framework that includes oversight by an independent authority, and increase transparency.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2024
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 84
  • Paperback Price: $36.00
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 1-9774-1262-9
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1570-1
  • Document Number: RR-A1570-1

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Butler, Dwayne M., Sarah W. Denton, Chong H. Gregory, Albert M. Esposito, Ignacio A. Lara, Leslie Adrienne Payne, Jeannette Tsuei, and Michael J. Gaines, Envisioning a New Racial Grievance Reporting and Redress System for the United States Military: Focused Analysis on the Department of the Air Force, RAND Corporation, RR-A1570-1, 2024. As of September 24, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1570-1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Butler, Dwayne M., Sarah W. Denton, Chong H. Gregory, Albert M. Esposito, Ignacio A. Lara, Leslie Adrienne Payne, Jeannette Tsuei, and Michael J. Gaines, Envisioning a New Racial Grievance Reporting and Redress System for the United States Military: Focused Analysis on the Department of the Air Force. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1570-1.html. Also available in print form.
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This research was prepared for the Department of the Air Force and was conducted within the Workforce, Development, and Health Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE.

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