June 14, 1775 is the day we recognize as the birthday of the United States Army. But it is more than just a day to remember the congressional conception of America’s great military force–it is a day to celebrate all those in uniform who represent the pride, patriotism, and selflessness our country was founded on and the means by which it has succeeded.
There are endless ways to celebrate and honor the birthday of our nation’s Army.
- We could celebrate the fact that our Army is older than our country, or that it owns enough land to be its own country.
- We could celebrate the sixteen presidents who served in the Army.
- We could learn the story of the Unknown Soldier, or find a way to thank a Soldier or veteran
- Or we could think outside the box and celebrate the story of the Army general who was the influential figure behind Bausch & Lomb designing Ray Ban sunglasses.
- Or the fact that next to Walmart the Army is America’s second largest employer.
But this year on June 14, 2020, I find the timing appropriate to celebrate and focus on the Army for its progressive and egalitarian ways–for the way it functions as what some call ‘the ideal society.’
The Army is an organization of equal opportunity. ‘Privilege’ is not a relevant word in the military community. It doesn’t matter if you’re the poorest or wealthiest human being in America — everyone starts at the same place: the bottom. No one gets a head start through legacy status or affirmative action. If you’re a United States citizen with a high school diploma or a GED who can pass a medical examination, you get the green light.
Of course, some might argue that privilege plays a direct role in which route a person takes in his or her career in the Army, whether he enlists or commissions. But while it is true that only applicants with a college education are qualified for the Officer route and will therefore receive higher pay, it is also true that an enlisted Soldier can serve for a few years, receive a college education paid in full by the Army and quickly work his or her way up the Officer chain. In fact, an Officer with prior enlistment receives more money than a non-prior-enlisted Officer of the same rank. The two paths of the Army can be misinterpreted to be based on privilege, but the reality is that the path a Soldier takes is determined by his choices.
The Army has always been a few steps ahead in it’s sensitivity training, programs, and progressive movements:
- African Americans were integrated into the Armed forces in 1948, years before the Civil Rights Movement even began. In the last 30 years, ethnic minorities in the military have gone up to 40% (a 20% increase from 1990). In fact, just this past week, the Senate confirmed Gen. Charles Brown Jr. as Air Force chief of staff, making him the first African-American service chief in history.
- In 1973, The Civil Service Commission introduced the Army’s Equal Opportunity Program (EO) to “formulate, direct, and sustain a comprehensive effort to maximize human potential to ensure fair treatment for military personnel, family members and civilians without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, disability or national origin.”
- “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was put into place in 1993 (later repealed in 2011). Now, almost 20 years later there is still no Federal Law in the United States banning discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Once again, the Army is one step ahead.
- There has been great effort to integrate more women into the Armed Forces. 14% of Army service members are women, which is a significant rise since just the late 1900s. In January of 2013, jobs in combat arms branches opened to women. While there are still significantly more males than females serving in the military, women have the same rights and opportunities as their counterparts in serving the United States of America.
The Army is progressive, and it is also a socialistic organization by nature. Healthcare is universal and costs almost nothing. A housing allowance or barracks room is provided to each Soldier dependent on their marital status and rank. On-post daycare costs are minimal and are tiered based on income level. The variance in income level is minimal in comparison to the civilian workforce. In the Army, the highest ranking general Officer receives less than ten times what the lowest ranking private makes; and that lowest ranking private can count on promotions just as much as every other Soldier. The bottom line is that the Army pay scale is fair. It’s nothing glamorous, but it allows Soldiers and their families to live comfortable lives, never fearing that their basic needs won’t be met.
While the Army has proven to be progressive, it never has and never will be an organization that adopts the common modern day viewpoint of having certain rights without responsibilities; it always has and always will be an organization that promises if a soldier works hard, he will be taken care of and rewarded.
The Army very closely reflects the American Dream in the sense that no matter where you start out, if you work hard you can achieve anything.
The Army is an organization worth celebrating for so many reasons, including its historical efforts in striving toward the betterment of society by taking proactive measures against discrimination of any sort, often times before it’s own country takes action.
I am proud to raise my son in this community, where everyone has an overwhelming pride for this country, a community where the only thing that defines a person is his hard work and his well-earned rank. And I am glad he will grow up in a place where the only colors people see are red, white, and blue.