WASHINGTON — Equal Opportunity Advisor of the Year Master Sgt. Kelly Grimes motivated Marines to think beyond gender and race this year, but it is Sgt. Jason Smith who has captivated the military ranks after becoming the first white male to fill a billet which has long excluded men of no color.

While diversity and inclusion typically define the EO program, Sgt. Smith is breaking down barriers and redefining what an EO advisor looks like in today’s military, sources say.

“Seeing a white man as the battalion Equal Opportunity advisor shows us what is possible if we stay positive and focus not on what we’ve been historically denied,” said Cmdr. Luis Kennedy, the chaplain for 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. “But rather what we can achieve when we refuse to let our appearances determine who we become.”