Dee Test: Letter to the Air Force Chief of Staff

General Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
Air Force Chief of Staff
1670 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330-1670

Dear General Brown,

Please accept our heartfelt congratulations on your recent selection as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. The undersigned, members of the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance (HVLA), aim to start a long overdue discussion on the changing face of America and particularly the under-representation of Hispanics in our Air Force. HVLA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to advance the inclusion of Hispanics at every level of the DoD.  dhannigan@plusthree.com

Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.
In this vein, we pen this letter with an imperative need to raise awareness and join in the solution to resolve a long-overlooked disparity. Transparency and frank, honest dialogue are key to minimize further misunderstandings and misperceptions. As you take the reins of the world’s most capable Air Force, we believe now is the right time to address this head-on. For too long, our community was relegated to the shadows of America, which was mirrored in the military. Now is the right time to make the invisible, visible.

• HVLA appreciates and acknowledges your perspectives on racism articulated in the June 2020 issue of Air Force Magazine. We also understand what it feels like to be the only minority in the squadron, to be the only Hispanic leader in the room, to look up the chain of command and not see anyone who resembles yourself. We know what it’s like to be painted with a broad brush by others on issues such as immigration, education, and civil rights. We stand with you in solidarity but offer the scale and complexity of the challenges ahead demand a coalition fully incorporating Hispanics and others to jointly find solutions, change the culture and create lasting reform.

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