ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- For those at Arnold Air Force Base seeking information on installation diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility resources and initiatives, a website is now available that covers DEIA from A to Z.
The Arnold AFB DEIA website can be found at https://www.arnold.af.mil/About-Us/DEIA/. There, visitors can find descriptions and contact information for the Arnold AFB Resource Advocate, Disability Program and Equal Opportunity offices, as well as DEIA-related training guides and a calendar of events.
“In alignment with the Department of the Air Force DEIA Strategic Plan, the webpage is used to provide dedicated DEIA resources to all levels of command,” said Kelsi Pilcher, an attorney-advisor in the Arnold AFB Judge Advocate office and base DEIA chief. “By having this information available in a central location, the public and Arnold personnel can proactively adhere to the DAF DEIA principles.”
The site also contains links to the Air Force Materiel Command and Air Force DEIA websites and the Department of the Air Force DEIA Strategic Plan.
An article published by AFMC in October 2021 announced that the office tasked with leading efforts across the enterprise to ensure both uniformed and non-uniformed Airmen have the right environment and opportunities to achieve and succeed had been rebranded the new DEIA acronym defines each aspect of DEIA focus efforts. Each are defined as follows:
Diversity: The practice of including the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures and beliefs of the American people, including underserved communities.
Equity: The consistent and systemic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment.
Inclusion: The recognition, appreciation and use of the talents and skills of employees of all backgrounds.
Accessibility: The design, construction, development and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them. Accessibility includes the provision of accommodations and modifications to ensure equal access to employment and participation in activities for people with disabilities; the reduction or elimination of physical and attitudinal barriers to equitable opportunities; a commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities can independently access every outward-facing and internal activity or electronic space; and the pursuit of best practices such as universal design.
The DEIA mission at Arnold AFB is to “attract, recruit, develop and retain a high quality, diverse Total Force, ensuring a culture of inclusion to leverage the diversity of the nation for strategic advantage in Air Force, joint and coalition operations.”
Pilcher described ongoing DEIA efforts at Arnold and other installations under the AFMC umbrella as “mission critical.”
“If diversity in culture and thought is not prioritized and if your people do not feel included, respected or encouraged to lead, then we as an Air Force cannot win in air, space or cyberspace,” she said.
The Arnold AFB DEIA website went live in mid-January. Pilcher and fellow Arnold team members Reginald Floyd, Andrea Hanna, Paytonne Martin and Allie Musall meet monthly to discuss and develop DEIA initiatives. The idea to set up the website stemmed from one of those meetings, and the group collaborated with Raquel March in the base Public Affairs office to create the site.
“We decided to create an Arnold AFB DEIA webpage, specifically with the intent in considering recruitment and retention,” Pilcher said. “Because DEIA encompasses inclusivity which, in turn, produces a thriving workforce, we wanted potential applicants to know Arnold prioritizes its employees and for current personnel to have a one-stop shop for all of the DEIA policies, guides and contact information needed.”