AFRC Command Chief: Reserve derives strength from its diversity Published Feb. 16, 2011 By Chief Master Sgt. Dwight Badgett Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Reserve Command Citizen Airman/Feb 2011 -- Our Air Force Reserve Command is more diverse than almost any other organization in our great nation. When I say diverse, I am not just talking about our appearance but also our education, experience and training. But, our greatest strength is the diversity in how we, as Citizen Airmen, think. An organization made up of people who look alike, think alike, and have the same background and experiences will usually come up with the same solutions to challenges. Since you all bring to the table a lot of different experiences, not only from your civilian jobs but also from daily interaction with our fellow citizens, our strength as a command is in your diversity. We would be less effective in the way we accomplish the mission, not to mention a pretty boring group, if we all thought the same way. As Citizen Airmen, we reflect the society we live in, and our organization reaps the benefits from our wide variety of talents. Ultimately, we have to remember that because we are members of the greatest Air Force in the world, we have to uphold the standards and core values of this institution. We are different, but we have to treat everyone with respect and dignity while expecting the same from our teammates. Every Airman brings skills to the AFRC team that we need desperately to ensure that we do our part to defend this nation. We will face many fiscal challenges in the coming years that will affect our ability to organize, train and equip our future Airmen. Because you are a diverse and talented force, I am confident that you will find a way to meet these challenges and continue to push our Air Force forward. As we move into 2011, you will prove that a diverse three-component Air Force made up of active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Airmen is a very valuable tool in protecting our fellow citizens.