Ron Coney has served the Army as a military officer, a contractor, and a civilian.
“I’ve enjoyed every one,” said Coney, First Army deputy director of physical security and military intelligence. He also serves as chair of the unit’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce. The group comprises 11 volunteers from various First Army directorates, and features a mix of civilian and military members who meet weekly to stay informed of relevant topics and issues which need addressed.
Coney said there exists some confusion about what DEI is and how it differs from Equal Opportunity and Equal Employment Opportunity programs. All three work in concert but each have different means of achieving their goals.
“Let’s say we’re all going to the ballpark. EO says, ‘Everybody can come.’ So everyone is at the ballpark and there’s a fence that’s put up. I’m 6-foot-3, I can see across the fence. You’re 5-foot-5 and you can’t see across the fence. EO got you to the ballpark. DEI gives you the resources to see what I see.”
Whereas EO may facilitate observances or ceremonies, DEI operates behind the scenes. “We don’t have authority as an EO, IG, or another special staff member would have,” Coney said. “We have taken on an advisory role to the commander and are helping set the stage for the programs that fall under DEI.”
In his capacity as chair, Coney said that he, “sets the objectives for the program and gets it all approved. I feel like I’m the voice to the leadership and I get direction and guidance from the commanding general. My role is to help steer us toward being nested with the Army People Strategy.” This strategy seeks to ensure that the Army acquires, develops, employs, and retains the diverse Soldier and civilian talent needed to maintain readiness.
The Taskforce also partners with the Minority College Relations Program to bring interns to First Army. This will be the second year of that relationship and 11 interns will work in First Army headquarters for 10 weeks. The program aims to assist minority students with securing paid internships and jobs, and also serves as a recruiting tool for the federal service.
Now, Coney explained, the groundwork is being laid to bring that advantage to other Army organizations: “The Taskforce is working with Joint Munitions Command and will be working with Army Contracting Command and Army Forces Command to try and take the Minority College Relationship Program to all of FORSCOM…so that all of FORSCOM will be able to benefit.”
At First Army, the interns will help contribute to the unit’s mission to mobilize, validate, deploy, and train members of the Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve for deployment, and the relationship will be mutually beneficial.
“They bring diversity,” Coney said. “This is a very senior headquarters of people predominantly with a military background. It’s older. When we bring in interns, we have younger people who think different and don’t have a military background so having them here…gives a totally different perspective. It also gives them an opportunity to work with Department of the Army civilians and to understand First Army’s mission.”
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