The United States Army is arguably just as socialistic as it is a meritocracy. Social and cultural factors such race, gender, and ethnicities are largely irrelevant and, at times, replaced by artifacts that contribute to the sustainment of the meritocracy as an ideology. Although the Army functions as a progressive and hierarchical system of merit, the aforementioned sociocultural variables are cloaked beneath a common uniform and insignia. The problem writ large is twofold: one, there are social implications that correspond with the wearing of a military uniform and its insignia; and two, the history of black people in America, with respect to race relations, is instrumental in the racial disparity of black officers in the combat arms branches of the Army. The researcher's goal is to answer the question: do ideological barriers prevent black officers from volunteering to serve in the combat arms branches of the Army? If so, what are they and what should senior Army leaders do to address this issue?

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