Race is often blamed but it's really other things having nothing to do with racial discrimination. Preferential treatment is meted out on the basis of 1. family ties to a member of command who pull their siblings, kids, spouses and ex-spouses into spots they'd never otherwise make it to or even up into command 2. family ties to someone command is either friends with or periodically needs favors from 2. career brown-nosing and personal friendships. Sucking up or otherwise having a personal relation