Bias Against Women and Minorities in the United States Marine Corps Awards and Decorations Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of implicit bias against women and minority active-duty members within the Marine Corps awards and decorations program. Data provided by the Defense Manpower Data Center is utilized in performing a statistical analysis of awards and decorations awarded to individuals by the Marine Corps from September 2015 to September 2020. The data includes twenty-one distinct awards for heroism and performance. The analysis compares active-duty Marine Corps members by rank, and cross-references those individuals based on gender and race to analyze the disparity in number of awards received by females and non-Caucasian males compared to their male Caucasian counterparts. The analysis shows that Hispanic and Black officers as well as their enlisted counterparts received far fewer awards than expected. Conversely, female officers and female enlisted received far more awards than expected. This study results in initial insights into implicit bias taking place specifically in the Marine Corps and provides recommendations for prevention and correction in the active-duty environment.