Middletown Journal in Middletown, Ohio

Navy fails to recruit Black officers amid image and access barriers

The Navy remains a mostly white force with under 1 percent Black officers, despite three years of minority recruitment efforts. Lt Commander Toney and Lt Commander Patridge say image problems and stiff competition from private industry stymie progress while exams and limited top leadership hinder advancement. They push for more Academy slots and campus outreach, noting few Black faces in the Pentagon and no Black admirals to date. In contrast, Army and Air Force show slightly higher Black officer percentages.