For more than 50 years, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) has supported mission readiness through research, training, and consultation that strengthen leadership, teamwork, and unit cohesion. DEOMI develops evidence-based resources for commanders and personnel, and it trains and certifies specialized practitioners.
DEOMI’s Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs prepare military and DoW civilian personnel to prevent, intervene, and report harassment and prohibited discrimination. Through these efforts and related initiatives, DEOMI helps build a total-force environment where all personnel can serve with dignity and respect.
Founded in 1971 as the Defense Race Relations Institute (DRRI), DEOMI’s original mission focused on addressing racial tensions and advancing equal opportunity in the Armed Forces, shaped by the late-1960s disorders. In 1979, DoW reorganized and renamed the institute as DEOMI, expanding the mission to include sex, religion, national origin, and other legally protected categories. Since the 1990s, DEOMI has applied human relations science to connect leadership and teamwork to operational performance.
In 2018, DEOMI expanded further as the DoW Center of Excellence (CoE) for human relations, covering MEO, EEO, and harassment prevention. A realignment memo from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) directed DEOMI’s reestablishment as the DoW CoE for training, education, research, and consultation in MEO, EEO, and the prevention of harassment, hazing, and bullying across the total force.
These directives shape DEOMI’s Human Relations CoE domains—MEO, EEO, and Harassment Prevention—reflecting the links between discrimination and harassment and the best practices that promote a healthy command climate. Drawing on its history of leadership in these areas, DEOMI produces educational materials, surveys, and assessment tools that inform policies and improve fairness for warfighters and civilian employees. It also collaborates with governmental agencies, international organizations, and academic institutions to advance equal opportunity and strengthen attitudes, behaviors, and policies beyond the DoW.