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Air Education and Training Command leaders are diligently working to remove barriers, promote mutual respect, and encourage tough conversations in safe spaces.

The First Command is leading efforts to strengthen diversity through deliberate actions to raise awareness about opportunities; developing partnerships with underrepresented groups; removing barriers to serve and providing mentorship to our current force.

 Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-7001, Diversity & Inclusion, broadly defines diversity as “a composite of individual characteristics, experiences, and abilities consistent with the Air Force Core Values and the Air Force Mission. Air Force diversity includes, but is not limited to: personal life experiences, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, cultural knowledge, educational background, work experience, language abilities, physical abilities, philosophical and spiritual perspectives, age, race, ethnicity, and gender.” The Air Force increases its warfighting capabilities and lethality by attracting talent from a diverse body of applicants and leveraging their unique characteristics, experiences, and abilities.

 

Learn more about the U.S. Air Force Rated Diversity Improvement Strategy here. 

Learn more about the Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Groups (DAFBAWG) here. 

 

Women's History Month 2021, First Female UPT graduates on new "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast

  • Published
  • By Capt. Kayshel Trudell

By presidential proclamation National Women’s History Week became recognized as Women’s History Month in 1987 to honor women’s contribution in American history, culture and society.

In episode 48 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, we celebrate Women’s History Month 2021 with four of the first-ever women to graduate Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training here in 1977.

Capt. Kayshel Trudell from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke with these trailblazers from UPT class 77-08.

Joining the discussion was retired Col. Kathleen Cosand and retired Lt. Cols Mary Donahue, Sandra Scott and Mary Livingston who attended UPT from August 1976 to September 1977. These women left their mark on the pages of history and have opened doors for women pilots and Airmen for generations to come.  Diversity in all forms makes the Air Force better and it’s more than race, gender and ethnicity, it’s about leveraging unique strengths, perspectives and experiences. Women serving past, present and future bring unique warfighting capabilities to our nation.  

Don’t miss their stories, and the wisdom they share, on the importance of determination, mentorship and wingmanship during this Women’s History Month episode of the Air Force Starts Here podcast.

You can stream The Air Force Starts Here Podcast on your favorite podcast streaming app or on:

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-air-force-starts-here/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3848FoDU1FrnpmbE28S0Fp?si=6lXtAwV9SxKOU99dvRdp1Q 

DVIDS: https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/65815/air-force-starts-here-ep-48-womens-history-month-trailblazers

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Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Education and Training Command, hosts the seventh episode of Real Talk: Race and Diversity in the Air Force, June 17th, 2021. Joining Lt. Gen. Webb for this episode will be: Brig. Gen. Brenda Cartier, Incoming AETC Director of Operations.
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