Equal Opportunity

African American History Month, February of each year, is dedicated to individuals like Dr. Charles Drew, Henry O'Flipper, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglas, Gen. Colin Powell, and countless other African Americans that either struggled to end slavery, fight to gain equal civil rights for all Americans or contributed to America through their intelligence, landmark inventions, pioneering developments in medicine, agricultural development, and literature. Take time to learn "America's" History!

For more knowledge or resources, visit: http://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/

Did you know that there are almost two million women veterans? From the American Revolution to Operation Allied Force around Kosovo, women have served in some way in every conflict. Not that they were legal in the early days. History tells us that thirty three thousand women served in World War One and almost 500,000 took part in World War Two. During the Korean era 120,000 women were in uniform and seven thousand were deployed in theater during Viet Nam. During Desert Storm seven per cent of the total U.S. forces deployed were women - over forty thousand of them. So, on these pages you will find the history and accomplishments of those women who have served this country - voluntarily - since its beginning.

For more information visit: http://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/index.html

In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. Most European Jews lived in countries that the Third Reich would occupy or influence during World War II. By 1945, close to two out of every three European Jews had been killed as part of the "Final Solution”, the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe. Following World War II, many of the Holocaust survivors, after being forced to leave Europe, relocated to the United States and made it their new Homeland. Our goal today is to educate Soldiers, their family members, DOD Civilians and the local community on the history of the Holocaust.

For more information on the cultures and accomplishments please visit: http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/

As one of the fastest growing minorities in the United States, Asian Pacific Islanders embody many of our Nations core values. Asian Pacific Islanders can boast a long line of contributions in every field whether it is science, sports, business, politics, or literature. Held during the month of May, Asian/Pacific Islander Month is dedicated to celebrating the cultures of Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian, Koreans, Asian-Indians, Vietnamese, Laotians, Cambodians and all the cultures that make up our Asian/Pacific Islander Americans.

For more information on the cultures and accomplishments please visit: http://asianpacificheritage.gov/

Women's Equality Day is celebrated each year on August 26. This special day recognizes the continuing efforts toward full equality for women. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York.

For further reading, please visit: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/index.html

The Latino influence is an evident part of the living and changing American culture. Whether it's in the area of food, music, arts, sciences, humanities, or business and trade, cultural change is occurring rapidly. Building on the best of what each has to offer presents tremendous challenges and opportunities. Strengths can come out of differences if we learn how to work with one another. As history shows, culture and nation building are not static processes, but are ever-changing, dynamic and living processes.

For more facts and information, visit: http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

The American Indian contributions to the development of the United States of America, as we know it today, have to be some of the greatest in history. If not for the American Indians, European settlers would have surely perished in the New World. With a legacy for giving animals and man an equally valued place in life, American Indian History is a proud part of American history that current American values are based on.

To read more on American Indians and their contribution to the defense of our country, visit the http://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/.