Reflections on the 2021 CNAF DEI Summit

By LT Eli "Ham" Sinai, USN

A couple months ago, I attended the inaugural Naval Aviation Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit in San Diego, California alongside our faithful Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short, and nearly 300 other volunteer aviators representing the full spectrum of the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE). After the release of NAVADMIN 188/20, I found myself eager to learn how the NAE planned to tackle our own diversity and inclusion issues, and hoped that the CNAF DEI Summit would provide clarity on the solutions our leadership intended to pursue. Though I felt as though the CNO’s directives, the establishment of Task Force One Navy (TF1N), and the Summit all indicated positive momentum and unity of effort to confront issues related to diversity, racism, and equity, I still reserved skepticism about whether these milestones were more politically motivated than authentic plans for action. Basically, I was unsure if our leaders were prepared to put their money where their mouths were.

The CNAF DEI Summit exceeded my expectations. I was surprised by personal accounts of Naval Aviators, both former and current, who have experienced acts of racism, sexism, or bigotry in their professional careers. I was challenged to consider perspectives, other than my own, as well as barriers to equity that still exist in our policies and our culture. Lastly, I was confronted by the work I need to do on myself as a leader in order to better respond to the needs of the people I serve.

The CNAF DEI Summit included keynote speakers, a flag panel, and a town hall meeting with the Air Boss in order to address specific barriers faced by minority aviators and to provide leadership development opportunities through educational seminars. I was impressed by the tone senior leadership set for the Summit. Rear Admiral Alvin Holsey, the former Director of Task Force One Navy (TF1N) and Commander, Navy Personnel Command (NPC), kicked off the first morning of events by detailing the findings and nearly sixty recommendations of the Task Force’s 142-page report “meant to enhance the Navy’s overall diversity and ensure that a culture of inclusivity is evident at every command.” TF1N has already provided the framework to confront the gaps in our diversity and is actively implementing its measures to ensure future representation that reflects our society. If you have not yet read the report, I urge you to do so now and finish this article when you’re done!

Though the discussion of TF1N and future plans reassured the Summit’s audience of the Navy’s plans for DEI progress, the Summit’s leadership sought to further facilitate tough conversations about the present issues we face within our ranks. On the first day of the CNAF DEI Summit, we were cautioned by the CNAF DEI Team’s Director, Commander Chris “Frozone” Williams, that the intent for the Summit was to get uncomfortable while identifying the challenges faced by our diverse naval aviators. The Summit laid out the following objectives:

• Identify and address minority issues

• Give voice to diverse naval aviators

• Educate – develop awareness/take leadership into the workplace

• Promote mentorship for diverse aviators

We were asked to listen to the lived, firsthand experiences of fellow Naval Aviators who have experienced discrimination, to reflect on our own leadership challenges, and to acknowledge the areas in which we as a fighting force fall short in supporting our people.

On the first morning of the two-day long Summit, I had the pleasure of meeting CDR Lin Walton, USN (Ret.). Lin strode up to my friends and me to thank us simply for participating in the conference, and then proceeded to share a brief story of his background. Lin was one of the first 30 or fewer AfricanAmerican Pilots in the Navy, and is a fellow rotary-wing aviator from the HSL Community. He majored in Physics at Norfolk State University, a historically black college (HBCU), and made his way to Pensacola in 1966 for AOCS where, at the time, African-Americans still could not go to restaurants, bars, or even the beach. Despite the prejudice, inequity, and injustice he witnessed and endured firsthand throughout his time in service, Lin achieved extraordinary success in Naval Aviation and now, as a pillar of the community, continues to advocate and pave the way for the next generation of minority pilots and STEM students by investing in their education. Lin is a living example of the triumph of character and resilience in the face of adversity.

Lin and I quickly realized that we shared a lot in common. We both played rugby, though he played on the US National team and was far more successful than I ever was, and we were both QAOs at an East Coast FRS. While we share many similarities, there is a clear disparity between our professional experiences due to the colors of our skin and the eras in which we served. I’m a straight white male living in the 21st Century. I’ve never been prohibited from restaurants or bars, discriminated against while applying for housing, been the only service member in an O-Club to have my ID randomly checked, nor barred from staying in motels on my various PCSs across the country. Obviously much has changed over the last several decades, but Lin explained to me that to this day, his white counterparts just would not understand the nuance of the discrimination he has experienced while serving his country. As someone who has never endured similar prejudice, I was left considering some of the overlooked experiences my fellow Aviators still have to overcome while simultaneously taking on the everyday challenges of our profession. And as evidenced by the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the state of civil unrest, our work to both develop awareness for and address these overlooked minority issues is still ongoing.

Lieutenant Lizzy Elrod, an NFO from the VFA community, shared another powerful lived experience, bravely reading a letter she wrote to her former self, cautioning Ensign Elrod about the various instances of discrimination she would have to endure as a queer woman over the course of her career. Her account compelled us, as her audience, to reflect on our own allyship and whether we have adequately supported our LGBTQ+ colleagues who might feel voiceless and unwelcome in a Wardroom, the group of people we rely on in rigorous operational environments.

The CNAF DEI Summit was admittedly the first time in my career that I was challenged to think critically about the inequities that minority aviators face on a daily basis. On the second day of events, we were divided into male and female breakout rooms, though we were encouraged to join either group. In the spirit of getting uncomfortable and acknowledging the below-the-surface struggles that my colleagues endure, I opted to attend the female session. The breakout room included a Female Leadership Panel, policy and aeromedical updates, and discussion of fertility management. I gained heightened appreciation (that I should have already had) for the struggles that women face in our profession–struggles of which we, as leaders, must take ownership in order to create a more equitable force. Prior to attending these breakout sessions, I had spent very little time considering the ways detailing policies and career progression interfere with family planning and female health considerations. Though I’m now ashamed to admit it, I felt that issues my female peers ran into as a result of unpredictable operational tempo and scheduling should have been expected, because “we all know what we signed up for.” After realizing how the lack of resources relating to fertility and family planning coupled with operational inflexibility affects my female counterparts, I now recognize the flaw of my previous logic and feel better equipped to advocate for my colleagues and subordinates. If we want to retain top talent, we cannot continue to put Naval Aviators in the position of choosing between their careers or family planning.

In summary, I think the CNAF DEI Summit accomplished its objectives, but the participants in the days’ events represented only a fraction of Naval Aviation, and I am uncertain about how the discussions from the Summit will find their way into future training, mentorship, and leadership development. Recently, Commander Walton informed me that the morning I met him, the quote of the day provided by his Calm App for meditation was, “expect nothing, for one shall never be disappointed”. After decades of witnessing racism in the ranks, the quote reminded him to be realistic about how much an event like the DEI Summit could accomplish. Following the Summit, Lin informed me that he was cautiously optimistic about the direction Naval Aviation is taking for DEI-related issues. I share his cautious optimism, and believe that we will only have true progress if everyone buys in, which is up to us as leaders to facilitate.

At the end of these events, I asked myself why this was the first time I felt so challenged to think about these issues. For one, they have never directly affected me, and while I may have felt empathy for my colleagues experiencing hardship related to inequity, I have had the privilege to not have to think about DEI. I benefited greatly from simply being in the room, and believe that if all of us had the opportunity to engage in the requisite DEI training, we would emerge more resilient, cohesive, and thought-diverse. Such growth will make us a more formidable military team.

The report may be read and downloaded here: https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jan/26/2002570959/1/-1/1/TASK%20FORCE%20ONE%20NAVY%20 FINAL%20REPORT.PDF

Attendees pose for a group photo during the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit (DEI) Summit in Coronado, California, Nov. 1, 2021. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Winter Griffith