Photo: U.S. Space Force
U.S. Space Force
Major General Devin Pepper
Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy (DCOS SPP), NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation
⚠ Key Findings
- 1 Following the George Floyd incident, Pepper publicly claimed that what happened to Floyd could have happened to him personally — stating "It could have been me on the ground begging for my life" — with no regard, he said, for the fact that he was a Wing Commander with over 31 years of Air Force service.
- 2 Served as a designated "champion" on the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team (BEST) for the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group (BAWG).
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3
Was the subject of a formal Inspector General complaint alleging that his ideologically driven conduct was rooted in critical race theory, engendering division and resentment within the ranks, undermining good order and discipline, and eroding confidence in the oath to support and defend the Constitution.
- Pepper directed leaders to read an article by Daisy Auger-Dominguez — Chief People Officer at VICE Media Group and Vice-Chair of the Planned Parenthood board — titled "Getting Over Your Fear of Talking About Diversity," which instructed leaders to read books on marginalized groups, apologize and admit mistakes, and introduce themselves with their pronouns.
- In July 2020, Pepper directed the base Community Support Coordinator to compile a list of Diversity & Inclusion initiatives — including book clubs and small group discussions — implemented across base units, so they could be shared service-wide.
- The IG complaint states that divisive trainings continued in defiance of Office of Management and Budget memorandums and a September 2, 2020 Presidential Executive Order prohibiting such trainings.
- Some trainings described in the complaint were characterized as racist and hostile, undermining the obligation to ensure fair and equal treatment of all individuals before the law.
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4
Issued a memo permitting select servicemembers to grow beards based on race, as part of the Space Force's Inclusive Male Grooming Standards Pilot Program — described as a BEST and BAWG effort to test and research the impacts of male facial hair across the DoD and report findings to the Secretary of Defense.
"The following Servicemembers have been selected to participate in the US Space Forces Inclusive Male Grooming standards Pilot Program (IMG), as part of the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team (BEST) and the Barrier Analysis Working Group (BAWG) effort responsible to test and research the impacts of male facial hair across the DoD and report its findings to the SECDEF."
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