All citizens should have equal access to their government and the Coast Guard is clearly a government agency. Probably not historically. Simply by basing our recruiting offices in certain locations, we favored some and discouraged others. By placing our advertisements in certain print media and ignoring others, we were sending differing messages to different segments of society. Due to the historical under-representation of certain groups, and the nation's changing demographics, we target our marketing and prospecting efforts to reach the best and brightest from all segments of the population.
Enlistment standards are the same for all personnel.
No groups are given preference. This part of diversity management is easier to solve. By actively opening our recruiting efforts to the broad band of society, not specifically focusing on any one segment, we can provide equal access. But equal access does not mean we will have equal success. We have to tell our story, demonstrate that we truly want candidates from all elements of society who possess our core values, then select the best.