By the Numbers - Jan. 25, 2016

By the Numbers - Jan. 25, 2016

40%

The approximate percentage of active duty senior enlisted Service members (E7 and up) who are non-white, according to a recent Congressional Research Service Report -- Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity in the Armed Services: Background and Issues for Congress (PDF). Based on Defense Manpower Data Center information for 2015, the report further indicated that non-white active duty Service members comprise one-third of total enlisted ranks, making the enlisted corps far more diverse than U.S. society as a whole." However," the report points out, "in the officer corps, and especially at the senior leadership level, racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented relative to the enlisted corps and the U.S. population."  88.9% of active duty Service members at the general/flag officer level (O7 and above) are white, as are 78.5% of the total active duty officer corps.

via Congressional Research Service
via Congressional Research Service