“To ensure equal opportunity, racial neutrality, and the exclusive use of merit in military personnel decision, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section requires all Department of Defense military personnel actions—including accessions, promotions, assignments, command selection, and military and civil schooling selection and training—to be based exclusively on individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance and prohibits consideration of an individual's race, ethnicity, or national origin in such actions. Provides a limited exception allowing consideration of those factors for tasking specific, unconventional missions in foreign countries where the operating environment of indigenous populations may justify it to optimize mission success, subject to combatant commander approval and a Secretary of Defense report to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees within 60 days that describes the mission (including location and duration), staffing, demographic factors warranting the tasking, number of personnel involved (including rank, position, race, ethnicity, and national origin), and rationale.