European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Military s revolution qual Opportunity problems still remain by Richard Mallohan new York times Hen staff sgt. Jacob t. Wills was a Drill instructor Al the Marine corps Basic training base on Patris Island. . In 1980, a while recruit irom Georgia look one look Al him and said what s this a Nigger in charge then he spat in wills face the sergeant recounting the incident said he first ordered two other sergeants his assistants and both White to stay away from the recruit because they were about to beat him. Next wills laughed Al the recruit what else could i do he said and called the military police who took the recruit away he was dismissed from the Marina corps shortly afterwards for misconduct. For will thai incident was something of a turning Point in racial relations within the Marine corps. When he enlisted in 1973, he said to was Nigger this and Nigger that " but in recent years he said the Tot of Black marines has vastly improved. Mow the letter o the Law is enforced he said. In the 13 years wills has been in the Marine corps he has been part of a revolution in the armed forces. What was once a culture dominated by while leaders a preserve of mates and a Lorce of largely single men in the Junior ranks has changed As More Blacks women and Young married people have joined. Many Blacks in uniform say they have Lound the services perhaps the Best equal Opportunity employers in America. Today we Are head and shoulders above civilian file in avenues to get Justice said chief master sgt. Johnnie e. Charles of the air Force. But Whan Blacks and woman judge their lives against the professed objectives of the armed forces instead of measuring Thorn by civilian standards they tend to be More critical. In Subtle ways Many say the services have not lived up to their promises with officers expressing More Dis Scalisf action than noncommissioned officers and Pelt officers even so Charles c. Moskos. A sociologist Al Northwestern University who has studied military personnel issues Lor 30 years has written that Blacks occupy More management positions in the military than they do in business education journalism government or any other significant sector of american  similarly Many military women say they Are ahead of their civilian Sisters in responsibility and. Especially in wages. Men and women of the same rank receive the same pay in the services. I be tone a lot of things and had a lot of opportunities to surpass my Peers in civilian  said army capt. Marianne f. Rowland. Young married people in the service like their civilian Peers struggle to Mahe or is meet but seem pleased with the Job Security medical benefits and discounted prices in the base Exchange. Like wills Black noncommissioned officers in ail services said in recent interviews that despite vestiges of discrimination they have a Clear Chance of being promoted to the senior enlisted ranks Black officers were sceptical Many saying that discrimination has gone underground and thai they have often been overlooked for assignments that could Lead to promotion. Among women both cos and officers said they had seen Progress. But he officers said heir careers were hampered because they were excluded from combat and thus from senior command positions. Gunnery sgt. William d. Brown who is Black was drafted into the Marine corps in the Vietnam War and decided to stay because the corps was something i could grow into no one was telling Rno that this was something i could t  Brown on duty at the Marine air station at Cherry pomn.c., said a found the Marine corps something of a cult wherever he went in uniform he said a former Marine would come up to shake hands even if he was the biggest bigot in the world for Petty off Cor 1.c. Gregory d. Lewis the Navy was away out of Mississippi. He did not have the Money for College so he enlisted Lor two years thinking he would go Back to school later. Alter 13years m the Navy he said Here i can make his work. I would nol have done any better on the  up phobia Young married people in tha service  ends meet but Minim pleated with few Obs Curtly. Nonetheless life in the Navy had been a struggle thai while sailors did not have to share he said at the Navnit base in Norfolk a. I be had to prove myself to my superiors i can read i can spell t can run this  Lewis found a difference Between whal superiors said an 1 what they wrote. A lot of times i be been told. Outstanding Job. Attaboy but the written markings were a lot lower. All Ino ghosts came out of the  Black cos said they sometimes had trouble gelling White subordinates to obey orders. You can t Lei being in a minority Handicap you said Petty Allicer 1 a Wayne e. Bursey. Bui sometimes you have to Light to be  on the other hand he said Mack sailors occasionally sought favors. They la say we re both Black so give me a break when i Don t give them a break they hate  at Mcguire fab. . Senior master sgt. Titus Andrews said there will always be an underlying current of racial tension but most of the outdated ideas Are out of the air Force. It s gotten More sophisticated it s not a missile fired at  among the Black officers i. Col. Melvin p. Smith ., an officer in the adjutant general corps at fort Dix. ., said the army has been better than anything i saw growing up in the  he came into the army in 1964 through the Roth Al Virginia state University a predominately Black school. Even so he said a lot of ideas Haven t changed they be just gone  although he had been selected for promotion o full colonel himself. Smith pointed to the Lew Black officers who had made that Grade. Among the reasons he contended was the taint Praise with which while officers often rated Black subordinates. I. Col. Paul Lewis the Provost marshal at fort Dix. Said another obstacle confronting Black officers was the Competition perceived by White officers. To Hose officers he said i am an aggressive articulate officer and i am  Black naval officers gave their service mixed reviews. It Marvin e. King who graduated irom the naval Academy in 1978, a class with 44 Blacks among 1,000 graduates said the Black Navy Allicer is still looked  ii you re White you can be one of the boys he said. Gut Blacks Are different you Sliwi have something to  it. Col. John a Hopper of the air Force was one of five Blacks who graduated from the Ait Force Academy in 1969. He observed the air Force has done a belter Job of providing a Structure that allows a person to do his Best. It has t been a perfect Opportunity but As much As can be Man Dalert by Public Law the Chance is  firs it. Jos l Winbush left Rural southwestern Virginia to enlist in the Marine corps and came up through the ranks to become an Olicer it would be naive to say that you have nol run into someone who is prejudiced he said. Bui in the Marine corps we Don l look at you As Mack or White we look at you As  women As cos mid heir greatest problem has been gaining acceptance by men either As superiors or subordinates. Many women said that Lack of acceptance was a More frequent form of sexual harassment than overt advances. Getting Mala subordinates to follow orders has sometimes been difficult. Petty officer 1 c. Carol l. Denson said at the Norfolk naval base in Virginia some at the men Are afraid of having women in positions of authority it s hard to assert your authority she said because the men will go around you to a male Superior and hell take their Side a Marine corps sergeant. Alicia d. Thompson said thai male subordinates used la try to Lake advantage of her. The sergeant who is Black said i Haven t for ferr pro \ 197 the con no the tha Lei if edit inh Par sufi rep Cort the Woi a Cor Nee 111 she f Page 14 the stars and stripes