?I have grown up with a strong appreciation for diversity,? he said. ?My father was
part of the first class of Tuskegee Airmen. His dedication and unwavering service to
our country has inspired me to take on the challenge of ensuring NSWC Port Hueneme is
aware of the importance of diversity within the Navy and throughout the world.?
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Keynote speaker Capt. DeBow (r) poses with U.S. Representative Elton Gallegly (l to r),
Dr. Fussell, NAACP Ventura County Chapter President John Hatcher and Ventura County
District Attorney Gregory Totten at the NAACP annual Freedom Fund Banquet, Oct. 8, 2011.
The Ventura County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) invited NSWC Port Hueneme Commander Capt. William DeBow to be keynote
speaker at the annual Freedom Fund Banquet held October 8, 2011.
The theme for the evening focused on ?Bridging the Gap?Coming Together,? an ongoing
effort of the NAACP since its creation in 1909. Chief Medical Officer of St. John?s
Regional Medical Center and retired Navy admiral Dr. Eugene Fussell spoke on this
effort and its ongoing mission towards equality.
?More than a century ago, few would have believed that the NAACP would become an
organization to promote equality throughout this nation,? he said. ?We have come a
long way in bridging that gap to equality.?
Fussell then went on to describe the leaps and bounds achieved within society,
including military desegregation as initiated by the Tuskegee Airmen, an all African
American pursuit squadron for the United States.
?Would you have believed that the Navy?s social experiment 60 years ago in
Tuskegee, Ala., where they took five black men and made them pilots, would eventually
lead to the opening of the armed services to black men and women?? said Fussell.
?And would you believe that one of those pilots? sons is a keynote speaker here today??
Following Fussell?s introduction, DeBow took the stage opening with the importance of
diversity and how his father inspired him to make it a personal goal for his command.
?I have grown up with a strong appreciation for diversity,? he said. ?My father was
part of the first class of Tuskegee Airmen. His dedication and unwavering service to
our country has inspired me to take on the challenge of ensuring NSWC Port Hueneme is
aware of the importance of diversity within the Navy and throughout the world.?
DeBow went on to describe specific initiatives he and the command have taken to
embrace diversity, including establishing a management diversity team. The diversity
initiative is rooted in the principle of equal opportunity for all. Additionally,
DeBow highlighted the diversity initiative also includes those with targeted
disabilities and Wounded Warriors, a program that actively seeks to hire wounded
service members.
?Collectively, NSWC Port Hueneme works to foster a diverse and equal environment,?
said DeBow. ?Without the unique make-up of our workforce, we would not be as successful
as we are today.?
NSWC Port Hueneme is part of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and provides the United
States Navy global fleet with weapon system in-service engineering, logistics, and test
and evaluation. Commanded by Capt. Bill DeBow of the United States Navy, NSWC Port Hueneme
is located at Naval Base Ventura County, Calif., where it employs more than 2,700
military and civilian personnel.
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