This year, I am proud to represent the Army and Army Reserve in our twelfth year at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, La.
This year, I am proud to represent the Army and Army Reserve in our twelfth year at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, La. The festival gathers more than 400,000 people for three days of Empowerment Seminars led by preeminent speakers, authors and national leaders, followed by nightly performances from the biggest names in R&B, Hip-Hop and Soul. For the Army Reserve, it is an opportunity to educate attendees about our commitment to diversity, building partnerships with the people and organizations that support our Soldiers and their Families all over the country.
As the festival celebrates this year’s theme, The Power of Your Voice, we are taking a moment to recognize the voices of all the Soldiers, Families, Civilians and Communities that keep us Army Strong.
The Army Reserve is a diverse force of men and women from all walks of life who have committed themselves to serving their country, their families and their communities by volunteering in our nation’s military. We are proud to have one of the highest percentages of women across the military. Our force also includes more African American officers than the DoD average, and nearly 40 percent of our Soldiers are minorities—the highest proportion of any branch of the armed forces. As Reserve Soldiers, we live and work in the communities that we serve, and we acutely understand the importance of reflecting the diversity and vitality of those communities.
Because of this unique connection to our communities, the Army Reserve thrives on community support. We deeply value the role local government, business and community leaders play in helping us maintain a ready and resilient force that defends our nation, serving both domestically and abroad. We continually work to build and strengthen those connections for the benefit of our Soldiers and their Families.
As we enter this weekend, we will remind ourselves that our Soldiers are the strength of our nation, and continue to offer our support to Soldiers and their families, whether at home or abroad. Army Strong!