Purpose Driven Leadership

Co-Founders 1LT Patrick Brundidge and 1LT Roxana Pozos first crossed paths during a Joint Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, while they were in their Junior and Sophomore years, respectively. Representing two distinct ROTC programs- North Carolina A&T’s Aggie Battalion and the University of North Carolina Charlotte’s 49er Battalion- both 1LT Brundidge and 1LT Pozos recognized that the true strength of any organization is rooted in the diversity of its members. 

Building on this belief, 1LT Brundidge chose to serve as an Infantry Officer upon graduation, entering one of the least diverse branches in the Army. This was evident in his Infantry Basic Officer Course graduation class, where he was one of only four Black Officers out of 120 graduates. This trend is common across many branches in the Officer Corps, particularly within Combat Arms. According to a Military Times article, while African Americans comprise nearly 24% of the Army’s Enlisted force, they represent only 10% of the Officer Corps. Similarly, Hispanics make up about 17% of the Enlisted force but only 8.6% of the officer corps.

Golden Warrior Project is a junior officer-driven initiative focuses on promoting the transfer of knowledge and resources to current and prospective underrepresented minority officers, aiming to enhance diversity and inclusion within the Military’s leadership ranks. As General (Ret.) Michael X. Garrett stated, “Diversity and inclusion within the military are vital strategic assets that keep our force strong and set our Nation apart on the global stage.”