FORT BLISS, Texas – Soldiers and civilians gathered at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center here to celebrate Army Heritage Month June 23.
Army Heritage Month recognizes all monthly equal opportunity observances in one month with activities where representatives showcase their culture through displays, performances and food.
The guest speaker for the event was Anslem A. Beach, director of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy for Raytheon Technology, Inc. Beach has extensive experience in diversity policy programs in organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also previously served in the Army.
His keynote address focused on the importance of a diverse Army and how diversity makes the organization stronger.
“When we think about diversity, equity, and inclusion, this is not some social experiment for our Army,” Beach said. “We need diversity, equity, and inclusion and its framework more than ever when we think about multi-domain operations, as we think about how we compete with our near-peer rivals, and as we compete with rogue nations around the world. We need every single person ready for the fight.”
Following his remarks, guests were treated to a tasting of a wide array of cultural foods from across the world and local to the U.S., such as Jewish, Hispanic, and Native American.
While everyone enjoyed the food, the Polynesians of the Sun City dance group conducted a dance performance. The troupe, comprised of Soldiers and their families, seeks to educate the public about Asian American Pacific Islander traditions.
After the performance ended, everyone was invited to examine the displays in the hallway. Over a dozen tables were set up with the various observance themes of the calendar year. Volunteers at the stations spoke with guests about the importance of each of the observances, which ranged from Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and the Holocaust, and how this diversity makes the Army better.
“Every time you look at the flag, our flag, and it says, ‘This We’ll Defend’, that motto should remind us of the steadfastness of our Army to ensure that we continue to wage a war against inequality, any kind of unjust treatment, any kind of discrimination, any type of tyranny on our people,” said Beach. “That still holds true today, and we have got to uphold that motto.”
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