Inclusion in the American Military: A Force for Diversity

The U.S. military can be thought of as a microcosm of American society, bringing in people from diverse backgrounds and history to defend one nation. Military leaders must address the same issues and concerns as those found in the civilian world, including exclusion, segregation, and discrimination. In some cases, the military has led the nation by creating policies of inclusion before civilian laws required them to do so. In other causes, the military has lagged behind the larger society. The goal of this book is to provide an overview of the ways in which diversity has been addressed in the military by providing information about particular forms of diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality. Subject matter experts provide their insights into the roles that each of these groups have played in the U.S. armed services as well as the laws, rules, and regulations regarding their participation. Ultimately, the authors utilize this information as a way to better understand military diversity and the unique ways that individuals incorporate the military into their sense identity.

MORTEN G. ENDER is Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Michael D. Matthews is Professor of Engineering Psychology at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Military Psychology from 2007 to 2008 and is a Templeton Foundation Senior Positive Psychology Fellow. From 2014 to 2015, he served as a Fellow for the U.S. Army Chief of Staff’s Strategic Studies Group. He has authored more than 250 scientific papers and edited several books on military psychology, and is the author of Head Strong: How Psychology is Revolutionizing War (Oxford University Press, 2014, revised edition, 2020). His book (coedited with David M. Schnyer), Human Performance Optimization: The Science and Ethics of Enhancing Human Capabilities (Oxford University Press) was published in 2019.

David Smith has studied in both the United States and the UK, and was awarded his PhD in Military History in 2014 by the University of Chester. He has a special interest in the military history of the 18th to 20th centuries, ranging from the American Revolution to British colonial conflicts. David is currently a visiting lecturer in Military History at the University of Chester.