Washington, D.C, June 22, 2023 – On June 8, 2023, the Department of Defense released its August 2022 Internal Review Team (the “IRT”) on Racial Disparities in the Investigative and Military Justice Systems report. MNB Meridian is proud to have served as the secretariat to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for the IRT alongside partners SAIC and Deloitte LP. In addition to providing substantial legal research and reporting writing, MNB Meridian members escorted the IRT members to installations across the United States. There, they met hundreds of Service members from each of the Military Services and heard how they feel overwhelmed by the importance of the challenges the Department faces in the investigative and military justice systems. However, we remain encouraged by Secretary Hicks, the IRT, and the Service members from whom we heard and their willingness to address racial disparities. We are immensely proud of the MNB Meridian team (Stephanie Barna, Julian Anderson Martha Foss, Susan Gibson, Nancy Kattenfeld, Richard Klingner, Angela Mackie-Rutledge, Naoyo Mori, Dara Paleski, Alexandria Peters, David Sheridan, Elise Sheridan, and Harry Tideswell) and the extraordinary hard work and long hours they worked to produce this comprehensive report in less than 90 days. We earnestly hope Congress and the Department of Defense enact substantive legislation and meaningful policy change to arm the Military Departments with the direction and resources needed to implement all 17 recommendations made by the IRT which will, in turn, make strides in eliminating racial disparities in the investigative and military justice systems.
Read the full IRT Report on Racial Disparities in the Investigative and Military Justice System:
Read the IRT Report (PDF)