{"id":76304,"date":"2024-12-13T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:36:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:36:24","slug":"naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 1989 movie \u201cGlory,\u201d which earned Denzel Washington his first Oscar, tells the Civil War-era story of one of America\u2019s first all-Black military regiments and the racism they had to overcome on their path to victory. At one point, recognizing the importance of soldiers ready to step up if the unit\u2019s flag bearer should fall, the colonel asks, \u201cIf this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?\u201d Now, as we face the newest battle in the fight for racial equality \u2014 this time in military academy admissions \u2014 Black women veterans are leading efforts to protect opportunities for the next generation of military leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In last year\u2019s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, the court struck down affirmative action policies used at the two schools, but confirmed that they may lawfully \u201cconsider \u2026 an applicant\u2019s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.\u201d The court also explicitly carved out military academies from the decision \u201cin light of the potentially distinct interests that military academies may present.\u201d Soon after, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/01\/08\/west-point-and-the-naval-academy-can-keep-affirmative-action-for-now\/\" target=\"_blank\">filed new lawsuits<\/a> attacking racial diversity in the military academy admissions at the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last Friday, a federal judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/12\/06\/judge-upholds-use-of-race-in-naval-academy-admissions\/\" target=\"_blank\">ruled in favor<\/a> of maintaining the U.S. Naval Academy\u2019s affirmative action policies, allowing the continued consideration of race in its admissions process. This decision reinforces the importance of diversity in shaping a leadership corps equipped to tackle the complex global challenges of our time. It also unequivocally rejects the SFFA\u2019s effort to extend the Supreme Court\u2019s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action at colleges to military academies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Applying to a military academy is more like applying for entry to a job than a traditional college. If the students admitted to military academies are not racially diverse, it can impact the pool of potential officers. Decades of evidence show that Black people are overrepresented in the enlisted ranks of the military, but they still face incredible obstacles to reach the officer ranks, especially at the highest levels of military command. For example, in the Navy, Black sailors make up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK547615\/#:~:text=For%2520example%252C%2520in%2520the%2520active,24%25E2%2580%259325).\" target=\"_blank\">almost <\/a>20% of enlisted service members but less than half of that \u2014 just 9% \u2014 of the officer ranks<b>.<\/b> In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/11\/05\/931808280\/why-does-the-navy-have-so-few-black-admirals-some-blame-a-culture-of-discriminat\" target=\"_blank\">only 10 admirals<\/a> of the 268 in the Navy were Black as of 2020. Military academies have an oversized impact in filling the most senior officer positions. For instance, 90% of the Navy\u2019s chiefs of operations are graduates of the Naval Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The impact of the lack of diversity in the Navy\u2019s officer corps was hotly contested during the trial. The government argued that a racially diverse officer corps was a \u201cnational security imperative,\u201d presenting evidence and testimony about its practical and strategic benefits. For example, racial diversity in the officer corps improves retention and recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an ACLU <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/documents\/amici-curiae-of-the-aclu-and-aclu-md-for-students-for-fair-admissions-v-the-u-s-naval-academy-et-al\" target=\"_blank\">amicus brief<\/a> on behalf of the National Association of Black Military Women (NABMW) and others, the NABMW described disparities in the promotion of service members of color, noting that they had fewer role models for professional development, lacked social capital and were underexposed to career-broadening opportunities. Officers of color provided mentorship and were more attuned to addressing discrimination within the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, the government identified strategic benefits of a racially diverse officer corps, including unit cohesion, which makes missions more effective and strengthens legitimacy in our country and abroad. Captain Jason Burch, a former Navy SEAL, testified that his presence as a Black officer made Black service members more comfortable reporting harassment and enhanced the Navy\u2019s legitimacy in China and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SFFA attempted to rewrite the past and present realities of discrimination in the military. In support of their misrepresentations, SFFA relied on testimony from retired Brig. Gen. Christopher Walker that he never experienced racism in the military in his over 40 years of service and that racism in the military ended after the Vietnam War. However, Walker\u2019s opinions were contradicted at every turn. For decades, defense secretaries and military leaders across presidential administrations from both parties have sought to increase racial diversity, describing it as a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/diversity.defense.gov\/portals\/51\/documents\/special%2520feature\/mldc_final_report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">unique strength of the military<\/a>\u201d and a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/diversity.defense.gov\/Portals\/51\/Documents\/DoD_Diversity_Strategic_Plan_%2520final_as%2520of%252019%2520Apr%252012%255B1%255D.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">strategic imperative critical to mission readiness, accomplishment, and a leadership requirement<\/a>.\u201d Further, an independent racial disparity review conducted by the Air Force confirmed that racism in the military is not dead. Fifty percent of Black airmen reported that they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/Portals\/1\/documents\/ig\/IRDR.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">experienced racial discrimination<\/a> from other airmen. Walker\u2019s conclusions simply weren\u2019t credible in light of the evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week\u2019s ruling reaffirmed that the military\u2019s strength lies in its diversity and that a diverse leadership corps is essential to fostering an environment where all service members can thrive. Black armed forces veterans and their allies have carried the flag in this fight for opportunity and access to military academies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, with this victory, we must remain vigilant in protecting diversity in military institutions. However, just days later, a new lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Air Force Academy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/education\/2024\/12\/11\/affirmative-action-air-force-academy-admissions\/\" target=\"_blank\">challenging its race-conscious admission policies<\/a>. While last week\u2019s ruling was a crucial victory, it is clear we must remain vigilant in protecting diversity in both military and civilian institutions. Together, we can ensure that America\u2019s strength continues to rest in the diversity that drives innovation, resilience and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Leah Watson is a senior staff attorney with the ACLU\u2019s Racial Justice Program.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":108887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":18,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,26,18],"tags":[],"coauthors":[7221],"class_list":["post-76304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VOT237BA7JC2JLEPDQKPF4UBMQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leah Watson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leah Watson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 919,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity - Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/13\\\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Opinion\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/opinion\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"opinion\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity - Air Force TImes","description":"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity","og_description":"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00","author":"Leah Watson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Leah Watson","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity","datePublished":"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/"},"wordCount":919,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Newsletters","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/","name":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-13T19:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:36:24+00:00","description":"In this opinion piece, ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Leah Watson argues the U.S. Naval Academy should be allowed to consider race in its admissions.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/13\/naval-academy-ruling-shows-military-strength-depends-on-diversity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/","ad_zone":"opinion"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Naval Academy ruling shows military strength depends on diversity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Military_Academies_Sexual_Assault_57867.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76304"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76307,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76304\/revisions\/76307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76304"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=76304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}