The oath you will take obliges you to ensure that all eligible noncommissioned officers are considered without prejudice or partiality. You will adhere to that oath and to all governing laws, directives, regulations, written administrative instructions regarding board procedures, and the instructions in selecting noncommissioned officers who meet the needs of the Army as outlined here. Your failure to do so may be cause to remove you from this board. This is your charter. The success of today's Army comes from total commitment to the ideals of freedom, fairness, and respect for human dignity upon which our country was founded.
People remain the cornerstone of readiness.
To this end, equal opportunity for all soldiers is the only acceptable standard for our Army. This principle applies to every aspect of career development and utilization in our Army, but is especially important to demonstrate in the selection process. To the extent that each Board demonstrates that race, ethnic background, and gender are not impediments to selection for school or promotion, our soldiers and our nation will have a clear perception of equal opportunity in the selection process. The diverse backgrounds, ideals and insights offered by soldiers and citizens of all races and of both sexes are a great source of strength for our Nation and our Army. We can best ensure that this source of strength endures by your strict avoidance of the consideration of any factors other than merit and ability as specified elsewhere in this memorandum of instruction in the selection of soldiers for promotion and other favorable personnel actions.