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The Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group (BCOAG) was chartered
February 7, 1990. Originally known as the Black Commissioned
Officers Steering Committee, the group was formed out of a
delegation of officers who attended the 1987 meeting of the
Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Under the leadership
of the then CAPT Audrey F. Manley, the group was formally organized
and developed a report of recommendations and initiatives for
consideration by C. Everett Koop, M.D., who then served as the
Surgeon General.
Thus, since
its inception, BCOAG has provided assistance and consultation to the
Office of the Surgeon General on issues related to the
representation and participation of African American in the USPHS as
officers and civilians. Since 1990, the BCOAG has successfully
organized several recruitment conferences for high school and/or
college students: established and annually awarded the Hildrus
Poindexter Award to acknowledge leadership and contributions toward
improving the health of African Americans and other ethnic groups;
served as mentors to high school students at Eastern High School in
Washington, D.C.; established the CAPT John C. Eason, Jr.
Scholarship for high school students who are preparing for health
careers in honor of the first African American commissioned by the
USPHS; organized a joint choir with the National Naval Officers
Association (NNOA), and held a performance to raise funds to support
the BCOAG scholarship program; published a Directory of Black
Commissioned Officers; and promoted the development of other USPHS
minority officer advisory groups, including the Minority Officers
Liaison Council (MOLC). |
