Each civilian employee of the Department of the Navy is an essential member of a team supporting our national defense mission. Our continued success requires that each civilian employee and applicant be afforded the opportunity to excel without regard to his or her race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

As Secretary of the Navy, I am personally committed to promoting equal employment opportunity for all persons in the workplace, and providing maximum opportunities at all levels of the organization. This includes bringing down any real or perceived barriers denying that opportunity.

In addition, I am totally committed to hiring and maintaining a work force reflecting the diversity of our population. The entire workforce benefits by recognizing and utilizing the unique qualities employees of different backgrounds and cultures bring to the workplace.

To this end, I promise to ensure that the policies and objectives embodied in our Equal Employment Opportunity Program provide the framework for the Department to be viewed as a model employer. The Department of the Navy will provide a work environment free of discrimination and harassment of any kind, as well as empowering employees with the means necessary to reach their full potential.

I fully expect our civilian and military managers to support these values in their workplace decisions. In addition, each employee can share in this responsibility by maintaining a sensitivity to our cultural differences and valuing the contributions each member of our team makes to the accomplishment of our mission.

  John H. Dalton