The Secretary of Defense has directed each of the Military Departments to immediately begin conducting a comprehensive review of their Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs and processes. More information can be found here. Our personnel deserve fair treatment and a positive work environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. They also deserve qualified leaders who are empowered to make tough decisions, enforce standards, and restore good order and discipline through balanced accountability.
Within 45 days from the date of this memorandum, the Military Departments will be required to review their MEO and EEO programs and processes, identify reforms, and submit to my office specific, actionable plans to streamline investigation processes, address problematic behaviors, and mitigate undue mission impacts.
Protecting MEO and EEO programs and processes is critical to advancing meritocracy and balancing accountability. It is also the right thing to do for the Department of Defense (DoD) and our workforce. The comprehensive review will make certain that these programs and processes are timely, efficient, and effective, and that the tools designed to support them are applied in a manner consistent with our mission and values.
The strength of DoD comes from our unity and our shared purpose. The Department is committed to reforming and enhancing MEO and EEO programs and processes in line with these objectives, ensuring that we can maintain a ready, lethal, and effective Total Force and achieve peace through strength.