Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs recently established a Diversity and Inclusion Working Group in support of Department of the Air Force-wide efforts to enable all Airmen and Guardians to thrive in a diverse and highly inclusive environment.

Led by military and civilian co-chairs, the Working Group is focused on all aspects of diversity and inclusion in accordance with the Department’s 2020 Racial Disparity Review and the recently directed follow-up review of racial, gender, and ethnic disparities. It aims to empower colleagues to bring heritage awareness to the forefront and foster a diverse organization that is focused on inclusive culture, retention, recruitment, and development.

“We are most unified and united when we champion and rely on the remarkable diversity of our Airmen and Guardians,” said Kelli L. Seybolt, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. “A diverse and inclusive workplace provides us with a broader spectrum of perspectives and ideas, produces better outcomes, and is essential to successfully execute our mission to build and strengthen alliances and partnerships.”

As one of its key initiatives and accomplishments, the Working Group successfully established and institutionalized diversity hiring panels across the organization. Other initiatives include newsletters featuring diversity and inclusion stories, events, and reflections from colleagues; campaigns centered on diversity heritage months such as Women's History Month; a lunch series with Department of Defense senior leaders; fireside chats focused on resiliency; and a mentoring program that connects Air Force International Affairs leadership with service members, civilians, and contractors. 

The Working Group also designed a dedicated SharePoint site that serves as a one-stop resource for diversity and inclusion policy and guidance, news, publications, and a cultural and religious calendar. 

The standup of the Working Group builds on previous diversity and inclusion initiatives at Air Force International Affairs, including division-level resiliency conversations, a Senior Executive Service professional development seminar, and a panel discussion on racism, bias, and other forms of discrimination.