Air Force leaders release Diversity Strategic Roadmap

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• MICHAEL B. DONLEY • LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD Y. NEWTON III

Air Force leaders release Diversity Strategic Roadmap

Posted 11/23/2010

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by Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

11/23/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Striving to remain a leading competitor in the search for talent to carry out the Air Force mission, the service's senior leaders released the Diversity Strategic Roadmap here Nov 17.

In a collaborative effort, members of the Air Force Diversity Operations Division authored the living document's priorities to "institutionalize diversity throughout the Air Force and allow the service to attract, recruit, develop and retain a high quality, talented total force." It is designed to take a sweeping approach in leveraging the spectrum of talent and perspectives of its members, Air Force officials said.

"Across the service, we represent a broad range of diverse missions, family situations, ethnicities, faiths, races and educational backgrounds," said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. "Yet, together, this rich tapestry forms the world's finest Air Force, drawn from the best talent that America has to offer."

Senior leaders validated the Air Force Diversity Strategic Roadmap during a diversity senior working group session Oct. 17 and 18, and reaffirmed their collective commitment to diversity.

"Diversity is a strategic imperative for our nation, and something that we must pursue together," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. "Our commander-in-chief has rightly sounded the clarion call for service and sacrifice-in or out of uniform."

Officials in the Headquarters Air Force manpower and personnel directorate are charged with assisting the Air Force-at-large in execution of the roadmap's priorities, which identify actions and measures to enhance the diversity of the service, said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel.

General Newton said the Air Force leaders will measure the service's diversity successes and track progress.

"We hope to foster an environment in which every individual's contribution is valued and respected and we can capitalize on the uniqueness of each Airman to enhance organizational effectiveness and readiness.

"While commanders at all levels have a leadership role in advancing these priorities, goals and actions, every Airman is a participant and shares responsibility for ensuring the talents and capabilities of each individual are recognized, valued and used towards enhancing mission accomplishment," General Newton said. "Diversity allows everyone -- active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilians -- to reach his or her potential and provide their capabilities to the Air Force and to the joint team."

To view the Air Force Diversity Strategic Roadmap, click here.

Comments

2/20/2011 6:25:09 PM ET
I am part of a minority and I was required to meet more of the enlistment qualification than the majorities. Do you think we have preference?

Michael, KADENA

11/29/2010 11:20:54 AM ET
Jerry is right on Diversity could also be interpeted as racial discrimination. Read 10-Year-Vet. How is that fair or best for any employer company? The AF already spends a lot of money in advertising targeting minorities. I have no problems with this as long as minorities meet the same enlistment qualification as anyone else.

D, CA

11/26/2010 4:14:32 AM ET
Charles' comments reflects exactly what is wrong with this whole debacle - if minorities are not in charge, then they are obviously being deliberately held back. Therefore to show we are not holding them back, we must put them in charge.

Sgt whoever, land of the free

11/25/2010 11:50:05 PM ET
I think Jerry's comment insinuates that a priority of diversifying the AF somehow translates to a lowering of standards or a discontinued pursuit for excellence. I think the roadmap laid out by the senior leaders actually demands the opposite. The AF has done a poor job of growing our senior leaders but has especially done a poor job of mentoring our minority leaders. There is no other plausible explanation to justify the lack of diversity amongst the AF senior ranks. What the AF needs to do is continue their efforts to ensure that our AF doesn't move too far away from reflecting this country's society. AF needs to work harder at recruiting and then retaining the top talent available and fundamentally that talent should be a broad cross section of this country's population. In my opinion this is imperative for the AF to stay relevant.

Miles, Arkansas

11/25/2010 10:42:32 AM ET
Charles...WRT to the first black CMSAF, you need to check your history. It has already happened.

Eric , USAFE

11/25/2010 10:11:45 AM ET
Charles @ Randolph -- Google CMSgt of the Air Force Thomas N Barnes. He was the first African American appointed to the top enlisted position. BTW, he was appointed not because of his color or in the name of diversity but his ability to lead and his personal achievements. In other words, he was the most qualified person for the job. Most of us in today's Air Force really don't care what demographic a person fits into as long as they do their job. People should not be promoted or given a position based solely on what demographic they happen to fit into but rather if they are the most qualified person for the job. BTW, I don't care what demographic my Airmen come from as I only see them as Airmen first and foremost.

AirGunner, Kirtland AFB NM

11/24/2010 10:37:20 PM ET
Biggest problem is Retention and Mentoring of people who reflect diversity at all senior ranks. Minorities who experience any level of success are typically victims of friendly fire by majority white leaders who are condoned for their practices. This Good Ole Boy net work continues to suppress the advancement of people of color. When we see changes in appointing the first minority CSAF, SECAF, or Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force then I may believe the AF is partially serious. Until then, all of this smoke simply causes a hostile environment as white males at my place of employment are hostile to diversity and any implication which may equate to them losing power and status. Where is the training for the Air Force on diversity? You can't roll a term out and expect for everyone to know.

Charles, Randolph AFB TX

11/24/2010 7:49:43 PM ET
Diversity is about ideas, not skin color. The Air Force recruits from all 50 states and is pretty diverse in my opinion. Let's get the best and brightest. Let's not let political correctness get in the way here.

Louis, California

11/24/2010 5:55:54 PM ET
When I was a commander, every one of my Airmen was the same exact color...blue. I didn't give a rat's patooty about their ancestry. What mattered to me was how well they moved the AF's mission forward. The ones who didn't were shown the front gate. And my unit's climate assessment scores: Highest in the wing. Performance counts, the rest is secondary. We need to get unwrapped from around this axle.

Retired CC, NE

11/24/2010 1:28:19 PM ET
Leadership is looking at this the wrong way. The Air Force has the highest ASVAB standards out of all service branches meaning we are getting the best and brightest. The problem is not about getting people its about keeping them. Leadership needs to look deeper and harder into retention the EPR OPR and promotion systems. Also if they are looking for outside ideas influences and backgrounds to further diversify the force then up the PCS tempo and get people moving around again. The 5 years at one station is stagnating our force.

Steve, Tampa

11/24/2010 11:01:07 AM ET
The world is full of diversity, however, hiring decisions sometimes do not take into consideration diversity. The good ole boy network was not diversified and attempted to groom their staff to be similar. I believe one of the issues that needs to be addressed is managing the diversity within our workplace. Too many of us overlook inner diversity that can create turmoil in the workplace. Diversity is not just surface level differences. It is deeper than the skin gender or age.

Amy, Rosslyn Va

11/24/2010 10:20:24 AM ET
I also agree with Jerry. This document is pointless and contradictory to actual business practices. Lets face it we all know what this is geared toward especially when they point one thing out specifically in their last goal. The Air Force currently has not done a good job in the last two of its five priorities noted...develop and retain a high-quality talented force. The recent force management programs have showed us that focus is all on numbers and nothing about quality. Otherwise we would have looked across the spectrum at all career fields instead of giving quotas to only certain ones. By looking completely across we could have retained quality individuals in overmanned career fields and gotten rid of substandard performers in critical career fields. Then we could have cross-trained our quality performers into those critical fields thus retaining a high quality force.

SW, OK

11/24/2010 9:12:28 AM ET
The Air Force is doing a good job of recognizing that broadening points of view will result in greater innovation and we know that these broad points of view are generated from diverse cultural backgrounds. Of course there will be people who don't agree tend toward similar points of view and end up suppressing new ideas. They are part of the problem.Go Diversity.

Check, DC

11/24/2010 8:40:08 AM ET
I believe the AF is not diverse enough and hope for the day that people are allowed to openly serve.

Steve Orlando, Ohio

11/24/2010 12:27:55 AM ET
Jerry, I could not agree more. A recruiter friend of mine told me that he was instructed that for the last 2 months of FY10 he could only sign 2 certain minorities. Hiring people based upon color is reverse racism and should be illegal. I asked if a white male or female wanted to enlist and had great scores if he or she would be turned down until FY11? Yes.. Lets hire qualified people, not skin color. Hire the best for the job and certainly diversity will follow. Once again leadership is in the clouds.

10 Year Vet, WPAFB

11/23/2010 10:47:16 PM ET
I agree with Jerry. If the AF gets and trains the best people. there will be diversity, period. The AF needs to quit wasting time on such politically correct nonsense and key on things that help win wars.

Otis R. Needleman, USA

11/23/2010 6:07:59 PM ET
And what you fail to understand is that recruiting for excellence is not at all politically correct or sensitive. Welcome to the new touchy feely Air Force.

Ricky, 336RCS

11/23/2010 3:38:47 PM ET
Yes Excellence is important. But it's dangerous to get into a group think mindset due to lack of diversity. AF also needs people who view things from different perspectives and have the moral courage to point out where we are deviating from our core values. In this complex global society diversity is key to protecting the American way of life.

Micah, Mississippi

11/23/2010 3:11:49 PM ET
Sounds like alot of BS to me. Who thunk that one up

Rod, Edwards

11/23/2010 2:55:08 PM ET
You don't get excellence without diversity.

PB, US

11/23/2010 2:40:12 PM ET
What the Air Force needs is not diversity, it needs excellence. The Air Force needs to recruit train promote and retain the absolutely highest quality individuals without regard to any other factors. If the Air Force does that it will have diversity in other areas because excellence isn't found within any one race ethnicity gender or religion. Strive for Excellence

Jerry, Oklahoma

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