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BANGOR – Soldiers from across Maine graduated Nov. 19 from the Maine Army National Guard’s 240th Regional Training Institute’s equal opportunity training course.
The 60-hour course trains new equal opportunity leaders, as well as provides refresher training for veteran EOLs. Some 19 soldiers from various units in the state attended.
The EOL course teaches how to recognize issues of discrimination and/or harassment, and how to train and educate fellow soldiers on these issues. It also covers the role of an EOL in supporting commanders and fellow soldiers, as well as responding to complaints of inappropriate behavior.
The goal of such programs is to ensure all military members have an opportunity to succeed in an environment free from discrimination on a basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity) sexual orientation, and are free from sexual harassment.
“The EO program, and the members serving as leaders and advisors, are critical to mission accomplishment, unit cohesiveness, and military readiness,” said Maj. Rachel Beal, deputy human resources officer for the Maine National Guard.
Maj. Ana Silva, a Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute certified instructor from the Massachusetts Army National Guard taught the course. Some of those who graduated will attend the equal opportunity advisor course, the next level of training.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jennifer Paradis has been an EOL for eight years. She originally attended the course in 2013, while deployed in Afghanistan. She said, “This is relevant real-world training that forces you to do a bit of introspection into our own professionalism, the professionalism of other soldiers we’ve served with, and it was also a great opportunity to get to know soldiers assigned in the same role for other units across the state.”
People are the Guard’s most valuable resource, said Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, Maine’s adjutant general. “That what the EO program is about at its core,” he said. “Everyone in uniform is the foundation of this program, and we know that success in the EO arena pays dividends in teamwork and mission accomplishment.”
