By Lt Col Phil Bail, USAF ret
STARRS Wisconsin State Leader
Published in the 1 August 2024 print version of the Ozaukee County News in Wisconsin:
To the editor,
It was a beautiful day in Milwaukee on Saturday as thousands descended on Bradford Beach and McKinley Park for the Air and Water Show. Temperature was about 80 degrees; the sky was clear and a gentle wind was blowing in from Lake Michigan. About 3:20 PM, you could hear the roar of aircraft engines before you actually saw the first F-16 Falcon ascend into the sky from Mitchell Field.
The precision and skill of the Thunderbird pilots was evident to everyone as the planes flew at speeds of 500-mph inches from each other in four, five and six plane formations for the next 45 minutes. How is this achieved?
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, one of the Thunderbird pilots, Major Tyler Clark said the secret to their close-proximity flights at speeds near 500 mph is something the Thunderbirds call “blind trust.”
Blind trust comes from believing in the flying skills of the lead pilot, because he or she earned the position of lead pilot in an open competition among the best candidates in the Air Force, male or female regardless of ethnicity or sexual orientation.
This is the way Thunderbird pilots and ground crew members are chosen.
Acceptance into the Thunderbirds is not based on equity, ethnicity or sexual orientation, but by merit.
However, this is not how our military at large is operating. If you look at newspaper reports or read posts from military members and spouses about the general shape of our military today, equity and affirmative action seem to be taking lead over merit in naming leaders and determining promotions.
This is the result of Executive Order 13583 issued in August 2011, which instituted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as a policy in the Department of Defense. Negative repercussions were unanticipated but DEI has proven to be detrimental to mission readiness, unit cohesion, morale and public confidence in our military.
Recruitment was short 41,000 individuals from actual need in 2023; basic standards like weight control are not being met. Some 68% of military members are either overweight or obese. Our enemies, China, North Korea, Russia and Iran are formidable.
To achieve superiority over these adversaries, our military must always be the best.
An organization called STARRS (Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services) is working hard to get all military forces to a readiness level of the Air Force Thunderbirds. I suggest you look at their website, STARRS.US and see how you can help.
So, what did I learn from the Air Force Thunderbirds? To be the best, be inclusive and diverse; but always choose based on capability.
LtCol Phil Bail
USAF Retired
Cedarburg
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