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Airmen support underrepresented youth at Tuskegee aviation event

  • Published
  • By By Airman 1st Class Alexa Culbert
  • 42d Air Base Wing Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, AL. --  The Air Force supported the cultivation of a diverse force by taking part in the Legacy Flight Academy's "Eyes Above the Horizon" program Dec. 5, 2015, at the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site Museum, Tuskegee, Alabama.

The Eyes Above the Horizon is an outreach program that familiarizes underrepresented youth from the ages of 11-18 with careers in aviation while teaching the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The event fits into the Air Forces' diversity and inclusion focus that was discussed in a recent memorandum that went out to Airmen from Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh III and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody:  

"As Airmen, whether military or civilian, we must continue to build and maintain our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the associated promise of enhanced mission performance. These concepts infuse innovation and forward thinking into our culture and mission areas and resonate within our Service's core values demonstrating that integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do are part of our character."

There are fewer minority applicants to undergraduate flight training, which has led to fewer rated minority officer and fewer minorities at the senior officer level said, Lt. Col. Diallo Creal, 455th Flying Training Squadron instructor pilot, Naval Air Station Pensacola . The Air Force has been trying to address the issue for years, but recently his group commander  challenged them to seek solutions at their level. 

Airmen from the 479th Flying Training Group, the 455th Flying Training Squadron and the 451st Flying Training Squadron decided to accept the challenge and do their part to help diversify the Air Force  by participating in the Eyes Above the Horizon program in Tuskegee, Alabama. 

"We hope to see a number of these youth test the waters with Junior ROTC programs in their schools and eventually apply to Air Force ROTC or the U.S. Air Force Academy ... Hopefully, the memories of the event will plant seeds of future possibilities," said Creal.

During the event, participants learned about the rich legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and their triumphs and tribulations with a tour of the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site Museum.The day also involved a military career discussion, which featured a 479th FTG mission brief and ground school, where basic flight and aerodynamic principles and forces were discussed, static displays of two T-6 Texan aircraft from the 479th FTG and a 20-minute incentive flight on either a Cessna 172 Sky Hawk, a Piper PA-24 Comanche or a Piper PA-28 Cherokee.

"The Detachment 015 Tuskegee University cadets also had a chance to engage in direct communication with pilots and combat systems officers of the unique opportunities that are available to them the Air Force and specifically in terms of aviation career fields," said Lt. Col. Edwin McCain, detachment commander.

During the event the cadets had the chance to become mentors themselves. They shared their experiences of being in a senior ROTC program in college with the approximately 60 youth that attended.

The Legacy Flight Academy is scheduling another Eyes Above the Horizon event for spring 2016.  For more information or to become involved, contact the Legacy Flight Academy at 1-855-TUSKEGEE.