Diversity, total force continues to strengthen AF

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Devon Suits
  • Air Force News Service
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  In honor of the of the Air Force Reserve’s 67th birthday, celebrated on April 14, and in observance of Black Heritage Day, the 22nd Air Force commander represented the Air Force Reserve during pregame events at a Washington Nationals game at Nationals Park here, April 16.

Maj. Gen. Stayce Harris, who is stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, and the Air Force’s highest ranking African-American female officer, was cheered as she walked out to the mound to deliver the game ball to Doug Fister, the Nationals starting pitcher.

“Happy birthday, Air Force Reserve,” Harris shouted with enjoyment.

With the Reserve celebrating 67 years, Harris considers herself fortunate to have served 25 years as a reservist, totaling 32 years of service. During her time, she has seen her share of changes, mostly in the Reserve’s operations tempo, which “has seen a dramatic increase.”

“What’s wonderful is our Airmen that are entering in the Air Force now, and have been since the ‘90s and, of course, 2001, know what that ops tempo is and still have that propensity to serve their nation and that’s what makes me so proud,” she said.

When asked about her participation in the evening’s festivities, Harris said she was, “absolutely honored, knowing that it is in celebration of black (heritage), and (also) in celebration of our 67th birthday.”

“(The 67th birthday) celebrates the total force. The Air Force Reserve has been an integral part of (the Air Force) since 1948, and it has been operating seamlessly ever since,” she said.

Also in attendance for the evening’s events was Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry O. Spencer.

“The Reserve, Guard and active-duty (Airmen) are one total team, particularly when you think about the Airmen that are deployed,” Spencer said. “Everyone is working together … Everyone is shoulder to shoulder getting the mission done. The way we look at it is active, Guard and Reserve -- one team, one fight.”

The total force culture

“Total force is the Air Force Reserve,” Harris said. “Most of us have served on active duty and we choose to (continue to) serve in the Air Force Reserve.”

Throughout her career, Harris was no stranger to the total force culture. She said she experienced it when she flew C-141 Starlifters in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, which have been maintained and operated by the total force since the 1960s.

“I look at examples like Peterson Air Force Base, (Colorado), where they have a total force command post, where the Reserve and active-duty Airmen seamlessly work together and know each other’s duties,” she said.

“Our Reserve, National Guard and our active-duty Air Force are operationally indistinguishable. We seamlessly flow in and out … we train to the exact same standards and that’s what the nation deserves,” Harris said.

Spencer echoed Harris’s message saying “total force is our culture – it is who we are.”

“For example, right now we have 54 fighter squadrons and half of those are Guard and Reserve. We are one Air Force,” Spencer said. “We need all three at the table to be as effective as we can be.”

According to Spencer, the Air Force is also looking at more total force integration by evaluating all the Air Force weapon systems and missions and seeing if it “operationally makes sense” to move from active duty to the Guard and Reserve.

“A good example of this is C-130s (Hercules), where 70 percent of C-130s are maintained and flown by Guard and Reserve units,” he said. “Cyber is another example where it would be beneficial for the Air Force to have a strong presence in the Guard and Reserve.

“It’s not about one or the other – it’s about all three working together,” he said.

A diverse force

“Well I am incredibly proud of the legacy that I have always followed with our Tuskegee Airmen and our Women’s Airforce Service Pilots,” Harris said. “We have come so far that someone who looks like me can be in the position that I am in now and serve as a role model and a mentor to those who want to follow in my footsteps and accomplish any of the dreams that they want.

“Our Airmen right now, especially in the Air Force Reserve, have that diversity of experience from their civilian career fields,” Harris said. “Initially, a lot of them will have gotten their experience through the military. They were able to transfer their (military) experience into the civilian world. They still have that propensity to serve and still want to be part of that Air Force community. (They then) bring those additional skill sets back into the Air Force Reserve and it just enhances everything they bring to the table, as far as contributing to the mission.”

According to Spencer, diversity isn’t solely based on someone’s race, ethnicity or gender; it is all the active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen that help maintain today’s Air Force.

Spencer said he also believes that the Air Force continues to become a better service because of all the Air Force specialty codes (AFSC), backgrounds, talents, brain power and strengths that are brought to the table on a daily basis.

“Diversity is strength. A diverse Air Force makes us a better Air Force,” he said. “All studies will tell you that a diverse leadership and a diverse organization make better decisions and actually perform better, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve in the Air Force. We have a really diverse enlisted force, which no one would dispute – we have the best enlisted force in the world.”