Epitomizing the Core Values in the U.S. Military Service Moving Forward As Americans, we all share a commitment to the defense of our country. As Americans, we all share a common future. And, as Americans, we must all be given an equal opportunity to participate in military service and the opportunity to look at our military leadership and see people with similar backgrounds to our own in positions of responsibility and authority. The Navy and Marine Corps, the Services I am proud to lead, must make every effort to reflect the society they defend. When the Navy and Marine Corps are successful in this, we demonstrate the individual worth of every Sailor and Marine as well as the possibilities that exist within the Services for individual advancement. We also demonstrate the vital contribution that every group makes to our diverse population.

America has always been a nation of many peoples – gaining strength from the background and experiences of all who make up the rich tapestry of our society. The military needs this diversity – we need those who are equally at home talking to tribal leaders in the mountains of Afghanistan, Colombian Coast Guardsmen off the coast of South America, or Indian fishermen in the Gulf of Oman. Diversity is a fundamental building block of our success; it grants us access to differing viewpoints and problem-solving skills, it keeps us grounded to the society we are part of, and it is a principle to which the Navy and Marine Corps are committed to furthering.

Today, Latinas account for 18 percent of enlisted women in the Navy and Marine Corps. But we are not yet meeting our goal of making the officer corps look like America. We must do better.

We must look in the right places. We must go to college campuses and high schools. We must reach out to the right people – the young Latinas dedicated to serving their country, the young Latinas with the character, the physical ability, and the lifelong commitment to learning. We must ensure that young, intelligent, and patriotic Latinas know the opportunities that exist in the military are equal to the opportunities that exist in the civilian world as lawyers, doctors, engineers, or businesswomen; that their contributions as professionals dedicated to service will take them as far as their abilities and ambition allow.

That is why awards such as the LATINA Style Distinguished Service Award, and the work of organizations like the Association of Naval Service Officers, which promotes recruitment and advancement of Latinos in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, are so critically important. By focusing on the wonderful example of the military’s outstanding Latinas and on the hundreds of patriotic Latinas in the military, the messages of duty, honor, and service to country are being spread by fantastic role models committed to the mentorship of the next generation of leaders. These women, like previous LATINA Style Award winners Brigadier General Angie Salinas, now Director of the Marine Corps Manpower Management Division, and Captain Kathlene Contres, now Commandant of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, as well as current awardees Lieutenant Delmy Cordon and Ms. Angela Bushey, demonstrate the excellence of individual Latinas and the opportunities available to Latinas within the Service.

The contribution of Latinas to the defense of this country is immeasurable. The rich cultural heritage and life experience they bring to our operations at home and abroad makes us better. Latinas serve with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan, in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Guinea, off the coasts of Panama and the Philippines, and wherever the Navy and Marine Corps go. Their service is the Navy and Marine Corps. And as the Services become more representative of the face of the nation, we will become a stronger, more capable force, and a stronger, more united country.

Ray Mabus is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy. As Secretary, he leads America’s Navy and Marine Corps and is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $150 billion and almost 900,000 people. The Secretary of the Navy is responsible for conducting all the affairs of the Department of the Navy, including recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, and mobilizing. Additionally, he oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities, and is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by the President and the Secretary of Defense.

By Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus