Awards

• Conducts the awards review and selection process and presents the names of the selected nominees to the BCOAG Chair.
• The BCOAG Chair forwards the names of the selected nominees to the Office of the Surgeon General for final approval.

Behavioral Health

• Support black Commissioned Corps officers experiencing personal or professional hardships through the provision of gifts of support.
• Coordinate comprehensive dissemination of behavioral health topic fact sheets in observance of behavioral health awareness. 
• Coordinating behavioral health presentations for BCOAG officers.

Career and Professional Development 

• Committed to serving as a resource to BCOAG members in the management and advancement of their careers. 
• Serves as a resource to BCOAG members by utilizing a Team-centered approach.  

Charter and Bylaws

• Review and revise the Charter every five years, and Bylaws every three years.
• Ensure approval of all changes to the existing Charter, Bylaws and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Prepare all member-approved changes in BCOAG Charter and submit to the BCOAG Chair to forward to the Surgeon General for final approval.

Communications and Public Relations

• Evaluate and maintain the BCOAG website to ensure that a useful format and structure of the website content is established and maintained. 
• Enhance BCOAG visibility within the Commissioned Corps, as well as in the General Public and media.
• Ensure that a useful and up-to-date information of interest to BCOAG is readily available to BCOAG membership through the website, newsletter and/or Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  Additionally, the Committee will identify and organize at least one committee project per year to enhance the visibility of the BCOAG by interacting with the PACs, CPOs, OSO, minority communities, and other agencies and the media.
• Develop and update the website content by posting BCOAG meeting minutes and BCOAG related pictures on time.
• Assist the BCOAG Chair in communication with other agencies and media
• Monitor public information on African American affairs.
• Plan for Black History Month Celebration Activities.
• Review and periodically update the BCOAG brochure.
• Maintain and update the BCOAG poster.

Community Outreach

• Develop and coordinate opportunities for BCOAG members to actively engage in activities that protect, promote, and advance the health, safety, and wellness of African-American and other minority communities where we live and work.
• Increase the visibility of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and BCOAG by participating in community outreach activities.
• Serve as an advocate for minority communities by offering our expertise on innovative ways to decrease racial and ethnic health disparities and related issues among Blacks and African-Americans.
• Provide guidance to the Office of the Surgeon General and the BCOAG general body on public health issues related to Blacks and African-American and minority communities.

Health Disparities

• Coordinating comprehensive dissemination of health-related topics in observance of National Health Observances.
• Coordinating health disparities presentations for BCOAG and to the broader community, including college visits.
• Collaborate with BCOAG Community Outreach Committee to facilitate volunteer service activities related to health disparities.
• Provide educational resources and materials on overall health and well-being by providing informational Fact Sheets that focus on diseases disproportionately affect the African American community.  These Fact Sheets can be disseminated via community outreach events (i.e., faith organizations, health fairs, community centers, sororities/fraternities). 

Historian 

• Actively engage retired BCOAG Officers; and host another discussion panel fielding retired BCOAG officers.
• Create a historical timeline of BCOAG - from creation to present day. This would include major events with photos, videos, and officers’ reflections.
• Collaborate with the Communication and Public Relations Committee and/or other committees, as needed.
• Create photo and video sharing site/clearinghouse. 

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility

Membership

• Promote VM application submission through informational presentations and materials.
• Review, score, and process nomination packets for new Voting Members and recommend candidates.
• Support and collaborate with other BCOAG Committees for retention and recruitment efforts using the BCOAG networking spreadsheet.
• Continued evaluation and improvement of VM selection process.

Recruitment, Retention and Readiness Committee

• Committed to recruit, retain, and improve readiness status of Black Commissioned officers.  
• Committed to expanding recruitment, retention, and readiness activities across all regions to engage more officers outside Washington, DC and Atlanta area.

Social

• Provide an avenue for members to network and build sustained relationships outside the work setting.
• Coordinate BCOAG sponsored events for PHS members and their families to foster interaction through activities in a social setting in various geographical areas.
  • Increase social events outside of the DMV & Atlanta
  • Host 1-2 team building activities amongst the BCOAG general body
• Host an annual social event at COF and an end of the year annual social event encouraging participation from all BCOAG members within the USPHS.

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