Attitudes Aren't Free: A Call to Action

In 2010, Attitudes Aren't Free: Thinking Deeply About Diversity in the US Armed Forces was published. In 2017, it was placed on the Air Force Chief of Staff's Reading List. Now, more than a decade later, with tens of thousands of copies in circulation across government, industry and academia, it has become celebrated as a model for engaging in critical discussions on social policy topics that span the spectrum of perspectives on religious expression, race, gender and sexuality with contributions from the brightest voices within the US. Since publication, the long-standing debates have continued on the proper role of religious expression within military units. We have seen increasing levels of racial and gender diversity in the senior leadership ranks. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed by Congress. Transgender military members have since been allowed to serve openly. Today, we continue to engage the traditional ongoing dialogues but with a new focus on the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements within society that have ultimately resulted in the transition of power between the 45th and 46th Presidents of the United States. Tomorrow's leaders must not only understand the changing landscape of societal attitudes of the citizens in which they serve, the mandates of our elected leaders that will serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Services, but also to best prepare to lead the men and women of the armed services in the most effective manner possible. Volume I of Attitudes Aren't Free: Thinking Deeply About Diversity in the Armed Forces (2010) offered a framework for improving social policy in the areas of religious expression, sexuality, race and gender by showcasing the complexity through the use of opposing perspectives. Volume II reflects on the progress made over the decade since, but instead of laying the groundwork of a plurality of perspective as in Volume I, Volume II relies on the realities of the national, institutional and personal levels using service members' lived experiences to develop a more robust understanding of life in the military for individuals from increasingly more diverse backgrounds. Ultimately, though reflective dialogue, Volume II seeks to explore and contrast the current social policies of the US Armed Services with the rhetoric that military institutions continue to espouse around the same topical areas addressed in the first volume. This is a Call to Action.

About the Author :
Jim Parco graduated with a bachelors degree in Economics from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1991. He later received an MBA from the College of William & Mary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. While on active duty, he served on the National Security Council at the White House during the Clinton Administration as well as in a diplomatic capacity overseas with the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. After retiring from active duty as a lieutenant colonel, he joined the faculty teaching economics and business at Colorado College where he served as a tenured full professor until he retired in 2020. Dave Levy is a professor of management at the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated from USAFA in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and served ten years on active-duty. After leaving the military, he worked as a Senior Marketing Manager for America Online and as an organizational change consultant for Grant-Thornton and KPMG. Dr. Levy received his doctorate in organizational behavior from Cornell University applying principles from cognitive psychology to organizational theory. His current research involves developing cognitive maps of effective leadership. Daphne DePorres, Assistant Professor of Management USAFA, is a senior Organization Development practitioner, scholar and educator. Dr. DePorres has dedicated her career to the pursuit of organizational excellence and individual agency within large complex systems. Her research interests are intently focused on the intersection of, and symbiotic relationship between, organizational effectiveness and individual agency, efficacy and belonging. Alfredo Sandoval, Lieutenant Colonel, USAFR, Retired, served as Chairman of the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors (2012-2017), a position that was appointed to him by the President and nominated by the Speaker of the House. As chairperson, he directed the board in providing independent advice and recommendations on matters relating to the Air Force Academy, such as the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, and academic methods. Sandoval also recently served as Chairman for the U.S. Air Force Academy's Diversity Advisory Panel, consulting senior leadership on diversity recruiting, retention and accessions. He is a recipient of AFA's Outstanding Diversity Officer award. As an Air Liaison Officer, he mentored scores of candidates to become cadets, and later officers. Mr. Sandoval also serves as the chairman of the Congressional Nomination Committee for California Congressman Raul Ruiz. During his career, he has helped many congressional members and their staff improve their nomination processes. Sandoval is a managing partner of the Private Investment Group, which focuses on portfolio management and wealth transfer. He is a former Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch and a co-founder of Creosote Partners, bringing real estate development and renewable energy projects to tribal reservation lands in the Coachella Valley, Calif. A 1982 graduate from the United States Air Force Academy, Sandoval earned a Master of Finance and a Masters of Marketing degree from Wright State University. He is a graduate of the Air Force's Air Command and Staff and Air War Colleges and holds an International Relations certificate from the University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School.