My background in brief
My military background was just under 23 years as an AGR in a career field formerly known as Aircrew Life Support. The Air Force Special Operations career field known as Aircrew Life Support (ALS), now part of Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE), holds critical responsibilities for ensuring the safety and readiness of aircrew members. Their primary duties include inspecting, maintaining, and adjusting various pieces of life support equipment like flight helmets, oxygen masks, parachutes, survival kits, and anti-G garments. They also provide comprehensive training to aircrew on emergency procedures, including land and water survival techniques, ejection seat operations, and emergency ground egress. In addition, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) refresher training.
In addition, I was certified in Aircraft Accident Investigation. Being certified in Air Force Aircraft Accident Investigation involves rigorous training and adherence to standards that emphasize impartiality. Investigators are trained to lead or assist in examining Air Force aircraft accidents, focusing on gathering evidence, analyzing causes, and recommending safety improvements. A key aspect of their role is to maintain an unbiased approach, ensuring investigations are conducted with fairness and focus solely on safety enhancements rather than attributing blame. This commitment to impartiality is crucial for producing accurate, credible reports that help prevent future mishaps.
Did the Biden administration fail to hire air traffic controllers due to not being the correct race, gender etc? The narrative around the Biden administration’s hiring practices for air traffic controllers has been contentious, with criticisms focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. While many criticize President Trump for mentioning DEI during the early stages of an accident I do not.
As stated in my background I was certified in aircraft accident investigation. While it is important to remain impartial during an investigation it is also important to consider and investigate everything that may have contributed to the accident.
Most aircraft accidents are primarily attributed to human factors, such as pilot, maintenance, or air traffic control errors, accounting for 70% to 80% of incidents. Equipment failures, while less common, are involved in around 20% to 30% of accidents. Since the majority of incidents are related to people, part of that investigation would be related to hiring and training practices.
Here is a brief overview of considerations for investigating the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, based on the latest available information:
Diversity Hiring Initiatives: The Biden administration has indeed emphasized diversity in federal hiring, including at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA under Biden has had initiatives to increase the representation of historically underrepresented groups in its workforce, which includes air traffic controllers. This includes targeting specific demographics like black people, Hispanic people, disabled people, and women for recruitment.
Legal Challenges: There have been legal challenges to these practices. A lawsuit by the Mountain States Legal Foundation contested the FAA’s hiring practices, claiming that they discriminated against applicants based on race. This lawsuit (Brigida v. FAA) was initiated because scores from a skills-based test were invalidated to pursue diversity goals, affecting over 2,000 applicants who would have qualified under the previous system.
Staffing Levels: The FAA has been operating with a shortage, with reports indicating that there are approximately 3,000 unfilled positions. This shortage has been persistent for years.
Impact on Hiring:Critics argue that these DEI-focused initiatives led to a shortage of qualified air traffic controllers by prioritizing diversity over merit, which has been linked to staffing shortages and safety concerns within the air traffic control system.
“Biden FAA Pushing Diversity Hiring As Air Traffic Control System Falls Into Total Disarray”
Note: On the evening of the collision between the Blackhawk helicopter and American Eagle Flight No. 5342, there was a shortage of air traffic controllers (ATCs) in the tower. While it is not conclusive that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives were directly responsible for the accident, it is prudent to examine the potential impact such policies may have on the overall efficiency and safety of our aviation systems.
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