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     More Hispanics Needed
in Senior DoD Civilian Jobs

              WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2000 – DoD officials recently established an advisory group that will explore ways to place more Hispanic Americans in DoD military and civilian jobs, especially at the upper management level. 

              “I am pleased to announce the creation of an informal DoD Senior Advisory Council on Hispanic Issues. The council is designed to provide another avenue to assist DoD to  recruit, develop, and retain qualified Hispanic civilian 
employees and military members,” said Victor Vasquez Jr., 
deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy Sept. 26 at the annual Hispanic Heritage observance at the Pentagon.

              Vasquez noted Hispanics remain underrepresented in DoD when their numbers are compared to national civilian labor force  statistics. The advisory council, he said, will help to rectify that imbalance.

              “I consider the advisory council as a major milestone in  that it will empower the Hispanic executives within the 
Department of Defense -- by executives I mean at least at 
the senior executive service level -- to begin to assume 
responsibility and accountability on building a strategy in 
response to DoD’s work force needs for the future,” Vasquez said.

              Senior-leader interest in increasing Hispanic participation within DoD is nothing new. Alphonso Maldon Jr., assistant secretary of defense for force management policy distributed a Feb. 28 memorandum DoD-wide that implemented employment initiatives to improve job opportunities for Hispanics within DoD’s civilian and military work force.

              “The initiatives target employment opportunities through a  renewed commitment to the recruitment, development and  retention of qualified Hispanic personnel through an  increased dedication to the Hispanic Employment Program,” Maldon stated in the memo. 

              “Hispanics still remain the only underrepresented racial or ethnic group in the federal work force,” Maldon continued. 
              “We strongly encourage you to work with us to aggressively address the under-representation of Hispanics in the DoD  civilian work force.”

              Although Hispanic Americans make up about 12 percent of the total U.S. population, they constitute about 5.7 percent of  the federal civilian work force and about 6 percent of  DoD’s civilian work force, according to officials.

              The military services have stepped up efforts to recruit  more Hispanics and provide opportunities for advancement,  officials said. These efforts, they said, have increased  the numbers of Hispanics in the military and promoted diversity within the force.

              In fact, all the uniformed services have increased Hispanic American representation in recent years, with the Air Force doubling the percentage of Hispanics within its ranks during the last eight years, officials said. In the Navy, 
15.5 percent of sailors are Hispanic Americans. In the 
 Marine Corps it’s 14.9 percent. The Army is 10.9 percent 
Hispanic-American and the Air Force is 7.4 percent.

              Maldon noted in his memo that more
Hispanic-American applicants are needed to fill senior civilian managerial  positions, a situation heavily supported by statistics. 

              Out of 1,211 Senior Executive Service billets within DoD, Hispanic Americans hold just 14, officials said. Of the 72,023 people DoD-wide who hold GS-13 through GS-15 jobs --  primarily senior management-level positions -- only 2,114 are Hispanics. SES civilian executives serve in general-
officer-level managerial positions.

              William E. Leftwich III, deputy assistant secretary of defense for equal opportunity, pointed to the importance of 
Maldon’s Hispanic Employment Initiatives. “These 
initiatives are precedent-setting in that they focus 
specifically on Hispanics/Latinos. The Department of 
Defense is working this issue very aggressively. … We’re 
about inclusion and progress,” Leftwich said. “This is an 
area that we have to do better in. … There are challenges, 
but my colleagues have their sleeves rolled up and are 
working this issue.”

              As part of Maldon’s initiatives, DoD officials said they are seeking senior-level military and civilian volunteers to serve on an informal DoD Senior Advisory Council on 
Hispanic Issues. Such an advisory body, consisting of five 
civilians, GS-14 or above, and five military, lieutenant 
colonel/commander or above, would be of great benefit in 
promoting Hispanic employment at DoD, Leftwich said.

              “I welcome groups that can assist in being a supportive arm to the things that we have to do. There are policies people need to know about -- the advisory council can help to communicate that,” he said. “There are communities that we need to reach out to in a better manner. They can help to facilitate that. There are focus groups … that can help gather information … and then provide it to us.

              “The more information you have and the quality of that information helps us to focus policies, programs and 
initiatives even better,” Leftwich added. 

              Vasquez’ co-chair on the advisory panel is Ana Maria Salazar, deputy assistant secretary of defense for drug 
enforcement policy and support. The highest-ranking 
              Hispanic woman in DoD, Salazar was named one of the 100  most influential Hispanics in the October issue of 
"Hispanic Business" magazine.

              Yet, said Salazar assistant Alex Rodriguez, more Hispanic civilians must enter federal service “to establish a robust pipeline,” especially within DoD, if more are to rise to 
top positions. The advisory council, he added, will help 
DoD to meet those goals.

              “You’re talking about a segment of the U.S. population that  is growing in size, compared to every other group,” 
              Rodriguez said. “So, deeper inclusion today by that group  into the American dream is critical.

              “A DoD Senior Advisory Council on Hispanic Issues will  provide a platform for members to assist the secretary of defense and everyone down the chain-of-command in moving  toward a more inclusive environment,” he concluded.



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