Counselor Connection: Lessons learned from EEO

  • Published
  • By Robins Office of Equal Opportunity
  • 78th Air Base Wing
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The majority of the people on base understands the Equal Opportunity office processes complaints of sexual harassment or unlawful discrimination. 

However, some employees might not know the office also classifies, clarifies and reports Equal Opportunity and Treatment Incidents, known as EOTIs.

An EOTI is an overt, adverse act, occurring on or off base, directed toward an individual, group or institution which is motivated by, or has overtones based on race, color, national origin religion, sex, or sexual orientation which has the potential to have a negative impact on the installation human relations climate. 

Incidents could include, but aren't limited to, the following: The use of a slur(s) based on race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender (resulting in a physical or verbal altercation); vandalism or degrading graffiti; hate-group activity; or the use or posting of discriminatory epithets, signs or symbols.   

EOTIs are distinctly different than unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment complaints, and therefore have different processing procedures. 

Each incident is evaluated by the EO director, with the concurrence of the installation commander, and given one of three classifications: Minor, Serious or Major. 

To classify an incident, different factors must be evaluated. Some factors include: how many active participants were involved; what level of physical injury (if any) occurred; the amount of time a patient spent receiving inpatient medical treatment; the amount of property damages occurred; whether the event occurred in support of a supremacist cause or in support of advocating for unlawful discrimination.

EO conducts a clarification process by gathering information to determine whether an incident involved violations of EO policy. The clarification process determines the facts and causes of the incident.  

Sometimes, EO conducts interviews or gathers witness statements. Ultimately, EO develops recommendations for the installation commander regarding corrective action to take and assesses the severity of the incident and its impact on morale, good order, discipline, and unit effectiveness.

Robins is committed to having an environment where every employee feels safe, valued, and as though they can reach their highest level of achievement possible. We are all accountable for identifying violations and attempting resolution at the lowest level possible.   

78th ABW/EO 706 Ninth Street Bldg. 936 Robins AFB GA. 31098 478-926-2131 DSN: 468-2131