Continuing their dedication to ensuring all Airmen, uniformed and civilian, have the ability to succeed in their careers, the Air Force Sustainment Center recently created a strategic board and a working group for the evaluation and implementation of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility practices. The newly formed groups will include representatives from all AFSC sites, including Hill Air Force Base, Robins Air Force Base, Scott Air Force Base, Tinker Air Force Base.

“We need talent as diverse as the challenges we face as a nation,” said AFSC Commander Lt. Gen. Tom Miller in his memo accompanying the charter. “We must continue to break down barriers to ensure we have a military and civilian workforce that looks like the country we serve. This is how we will succeed in facing our future challenges.”

The council and working group will review hiring, retaining, promoting and benefits of all employees within the AFSC. They also will review accommodations for disability, religion and more.

Training on diversity, inclusion and unconscious bias and scheduled town halls to listen to employee feedback will be a priority of the council and working group.  

“DEIA is more than a training requirement. Immersing DEIA into everyday practices can lead to great things,” said Nicole Tubbs, AFSC DEIA program manager. “The most successful organizations implement DEIA at the foundation of their organizations, which can have a direct correlation to increased productivity and employee satisfaction.”

Tubbs has been with the AFSC Workforce Development team for just over a year, and looks forward to helping others grow and develop.

“I am very passionate about leaving the world a better place and embracing all of the things that make us great individually and together,” said Tubbs.

The AFSC DEIA Council includes the AFSC commander, executive director, command chief, wing commanders, air logistics complex commanders, directors of personnel, engineering, finance, information protection, logistics, contracting and public affairs. The executive director will serve as the chair of the council. It will provide advice to AFSC DEIA Working Group and other AFSC organizations.

“We must expand the understanding of diversity, inclusion and biases so employees feel supported and encouraged to promote respectful and inclusive workplaces,” said Miller. “We owe our workforce a safe and transparent workplace where all ethnicities, gender identities, backgrounds and generations are included and treated with respect and equality. We have taken many steps to address these items, and there is more to do.”

The AFSC DEIA Working Group will consist of members from each AFSC organizations, including installation DEIA chiefs, organizational leaders responsible for DEIA-related personnel and training policy and the American Federation of Government Employees Council 214. It will provide resources to the AFSC DEIA Council and may be involved in carrying out actions and activities recommended by the council.

“Defining the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility culture for AFSC is the highlight of my year so far,” said Tubbs. “There is truth to each and every person’s experience.”

To learn more about the AFSC DEIA program, visit their Resource Center. There employees may find information on how to address bias or favoritism, a calendar of special observance events, a toolkit for best practices in creating an inclusive workplace and more.