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The real question is do the parents of enlisted Marines and Sailors really care what ethnicity is leading their sons or daughters? No, they care that their sons and daughters are being led by the most competant and most qualified officers, period. I want the most qualified and best people I can get in my detachment. When picking people to deploy with me, I dont base it on ethnicity. I base it on qualifications...who can best complete the mission. Why are we picking officers based on ethnicity? If our overall goal is mission accomplishment shouldnt we be picking the most qualified person regardless of their ethnicity?
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So, okay base it solely on "qualifications" but what makes a person "more qualified" to lead or "better qualified" to lead?
SAT scores? No way. And this is the crux of the argument. Folks are complaining that some persons of color have lower SAT's and hence less qualified or not qualified at all.
The graduation rates disprove this.
I also raised the question that Prof Fleming did not address - what about those from prior service? This group is normally "less qualified" than the direct admit group from high school. Lower SAT's and more minorities.
With 15,000 applications for Navy and nearly 12,000 for West Point it would probably be pretty easy to admit a class that is all white male, from an upper-middle class background, with exceptional SAT's.
This is not what the Navy (or Army) wants and not what Congress wants. Nor what most American's would want - we've been there done that.
As far as the best and the brightest goes - look at Craig Mullaney, West Point grad, Rhodes Scholar, Combat Platoon leader. After one tour he called it quits. Finished his commitment (extended so the Army could pay for his Oxford education) teaching history at the Naval Academy. He is now out of the Army.
Professor Fleming should conduct a study - tell us how long the top of the class, Rhodes Scholars (and other scholarship winners) last in the service. I think you would find General Petraeus the exception and not the rule.