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How women made a difference
Women would also play a key role during and after the war. More than 1,000 Women Airforce Service Pilots, known as WASPs, were stationed at 122 air bases across the United States. Though limited by the sexism of the time, and barred from front-line roles, they still flew more than 60 million miles in almost every type of aircraft flown by the US Army Air Forces. By testing and delivering aircraft, these women flew thousands of aircraft to the front lines, where they would be flown by their male counterparts in combat. WASPS fought for decades for recognition despite their courageous service; 38 WASPs lost their lives during the war.
After World War II, the military's stark lack of diversity would hinder the nation's efforts during the Cold War. The Soviet Union had leapt ahead in space exploration with the surprise launch of Sputnik and cemented their dominance when Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that the American space program supplanted the Soviets after female and African-American mathematicians and engineers were integrated into the workforce.
In an era in which gay Americans in all walks of life frequently remained in the closet, Technical Sgt. Leonard Matlovich became the face of the still nascent gay rights movement when he appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 1975, in his uniform, under the banner "I Am a Homosexual."
His activism and courage in the face of social injustice was laudable, but his actions on the battlefields of Vietnam earned him the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Matlovich made our military better for his talents and for his courage both on the battlefield abroad and in our community at home.
In every aspect of our humanity, there have been airmen contributing their unique talents to the nation's defense. John Levitow, a Jewish airman, was a loadmaster on an AC-47 "Spooky" gunship. Although Levitow's religion did not restrict him from service in the same ways as Matlovich's sexuality, the Tuskegee Airmen's race, or the WASPs' gender, his story highlights that heroes may be of any faith, including those of no faith.
On February 24, 1969, Levitow's gunship was supporting an Army unit when his airplane was hit by mortar fire. The shrapnel damaged the plane and injured the crew, including Levitow. It also caused the airplane's gunner to drop a lit flare inside the aircraft, where its fuse burned next to 19,000 rounds of ammunition.
Despite his injuries, Levitow dragged the burning fuse to an open door and dropped it out of the plane seconds before it ignited. He saved the aircraft and crew, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. That gunship and the soldiers it was supporting survived that day because of the diversity Levitow brought to the fight.
An infinitely more complex world
I grew up in a military family and have worn our nation's uniform for 36 years. I have traveled the world, served in leadership roles from California to England, and commanded some of our nation's finest men and women in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. As the Air Force Academy's superintendent, the bottom line is simple: I need to prepare these young men and women to defend our freedoms and defend our nation, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
Over the course of my career, waging war and preserving peace has grown infinitely more complex. Today, the leaders we prepare must be able to understand ideas, languages and customs that span continents and cultures as they never have before. Furthermore, they must be able to harness the unique talents of the airmen they will lead.
Embracing, celebrating and striving for diversity isn't just the right thing to do, nor is it just a sensitive and politically correct, knee-jerk response. It is the application of our collective intelligence -- our uniqueness coming together to fulfill our duty to provide the nation with the most effective and lethal fighting force we have the capacity to employ on the battlefield. To put it in the terms of a military leader: Diversity is a force multiplier. We must do this together -- all ranks and ages, races and religions, sexual orientations and identities — all of us.
