Throughout U.S. history Blacks have fought diligently in the U.S. military. Mtm bers of the 396th Infantry (dubbed the Hell Fighters by the Germans they fought)
earned the Croix de Guerre for gallantry in action in World War I.
Number of Blacks joining military increases
EVELYN FAISON
Staff Writer
There has been an increase in the number
of Blacks joining the military in the last ten
years, U.S. Army recruiter Sergeant M.T.
Hicks said.
In the Army the percentage of Black en
listed persons is greater than that of white
enlisted persons. In 1980, black reenlist
ment was 1.7 times greater than that of
whites according to an independent study,
"Symposium: Race and the United States
Military."
Today's Army is different from the Army
twenty years ago.
"Today's Army is more sophisticated, said
Sergeant First Class Joseph Rodriquez of
Durham. There is more technology and
career opportunities."
The idea that the Army is "full of illiter
ates" is a myth, Rodriguez said, "created by
the news media . . . higher education is
pushed."
Rodriguez, a high school dropout, joined
the Army thirteen years ago. He now has an
Associate Degree in general academics.
Sergeant First Class Bob Martin, an U.S.
Army Recruiter, said the Army has approx
imately 360 jobs; twenty are combat arms,
the remainder employs technical skills.
The tanks, Rodriguez said, are equipped
with lasers and computers.
There are no quotas, Rodriguez said. "If
you qualify, you get the job. Promotions go
to those who want to better themselves.
"A minority can expect whatever he is
aftei, if he goes after what he wants: ambi
tion is the key. (Minorities) can be very- suc
cessful in the Army, ' Rodgriguez said.
UNC-CH sophomore Kovac Bynum, a
cadet Captain in the Army ROTC program at
Duke said he expects to get experience and a
marketable skill from the Army.
"The administrative type branch (I plan to
specialize in) will make me a bit more
marketable and help me to apply my know
ledge in a practical sense," Bynum said.
What people don't realize is that there are
specialized branches that allows one to con
centrate in an area of interest," Bynum
added.
Rodriguez said that education in a particu
lar field does not end after Advanced Indi
vidual Training.
Advanced Individual Training (AIT) is the
period after enlistment when a recruit learns
his military job.
People join the military for different
reasons. Rodriguez said the economy and
career opportunities are two reasons.
Sergeant Phillip Gonzales =aid people join
the military tor a job and money for educa
tion. He cited the VEAP as an example.
"The Veterans Educational Assistance
Program is similar to the Cl Bill Gonzales
said. But now the soldier plays an active
part. For every dollar a sollder puts in the
fund, the Army will put in two." The max
imum contributory amount p>er month by an
individual is $100.
The army contributes $200. Educational
bonuses are available which could raise the
total amount contributed by the Army. If a
soldier changes his mind about continuing
his education, he can withdraw his total
contributed sum.
Also while on active duty individuals have
the opportunity to continue their education
instead of waiting until the end of their enlist
ment as with the VEAP. The Army pays 75%
of the tuition costs.
Bynum said he joined the Army because it
was something unusual to him.
"Noone in my family had been associated
with the military," Bynum said.
He said he hopes to contribute something
to the academics and mission accomplish
ment of the military.
A concern of most minorities, civilian and
military, is discrimination. Rodriguez said
discrimination is not as evident in the milit
ary as it is in civilian life.
Martin said the military is constantly being
watched for discrimination.
"An out and out racist will not stay in the
military long," said Martin who worked with
the Army's Equal Opportunity Program.
The Equal Opportunity Program, started
in 1971, functions to ensure equal recogni
tion of minorities and to better race relations.
The EOP plans programs, seminars, ex
hibits, etc. to educate people about race
relations, Martin said. For example, the
military has a week commemorating Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. worldwide each year
and it also recognizes Black History Month.
UNC-CH
(Continued from page 1)
Wallace said he believes that helping the
students now will increase the availability of
black faculty in the future. Programs to aid
black students, who are seeking Ph.D's, are
presently in the developmental stage.
Samuel Williams, Dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences, is currently trying to de
velop a program to work with undergradu
ates to encourage them to go into doctoral
programs.
"We are a University community. We
have so much talent on this campus that I'm
sure that if we utilize that talent — students
can play a large part," Wallace said. "It is
important for young people to insist that they
have a diversjty qf_facul^^'' he said ,, ^,