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After racial slurs were scrawled outside black students' doors at the U.S. Air Force Academy's preparatory school, Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria gathered all 4,000 cadets in a hall Thursday so they could hear one message: Treat people with dignity and respect — or get out.
"That kind of behavior has no place at the prep school, it has no place at USAFA, and it has no place in the United States Air Force," Silveria said, in a speech that has found an enthusiastic reception after it was recorded and published online. "You should be outraged not only as an airman, but as a human being."
Speaking to a crowd of some 5,500 people that included faculty, coaches, airstrip personnel and senior officers and staff of the 10th Air Base Wing that includes the academy, Silveria urged them not to let their institution be taken away from them.
"The appropriate response for horrible language and horrible ideas — the appropriate response is a better idea," Silveria said. "So that's why I'm here. That's why all these people are here."
"GET OUT!" General Rains HELL on Air Force Academy After Racist Attacks On Black cadets
Published on Sep 29, 2017
‘Get out!’: Lt General rains hell on Air Force Academy after racist messages were left on black cadets’ rooms
Lt. Gen. Jay B. Silveria, superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, addressed cadets on Thursday in a powerful speech about treating one another with “dignity and respect” after racial slurs were written outside five black cadet candidates’ dorm rooms.
One message—which was posted on Facebook by a young cadet candidate’s mom—read, “go home n**ger.”
“There is absolutely no place in our Air Force for racism,” Silveria told the Air Force Times, adding, “I‘ve said it before: the area of dignity and respect is my red line. Let me be clear, it won’t be crossed without significant repercussions.”
Let's see...how many of these incidents turned out to be hoaxes? Right.
Kids, whether college students or cadets, have too much time on their hands today.
In the case of this incident I have serious doubts that those 6 black students would have written "Go Home ******" on their door. What I expect and this will probably not be announced on national TV that someone will report on who was responsible. I would hope that the individual(s) responsible would admit it and accept their punishments. However I have a feeling that the one(s) responsible will not own up to it. That being said, if known they are not airmen material and need to be removed. There is no room for that kind of attitude and lack of integrity.
First Sergeants, Lieutenants, Company Commanders make these sorts of talks to their troops all the time - not racist related comments - but other topics usually revolving around improper behavior in the ranks - part of being a leader in the military, imo. Had a great leader in my drill sergeant back in the 80's who gave some outstanding talks like this to set us straight.
First Sergeants, Lieutenants, Company Commanders make these sorts of talks to their troops all the time - not racist related comments - but other topics usually revolving around improper behavior in the ranks - part of being a leader in the military, imo. Had a great leader in my drill sergeant back in the 80's who gave some outstanding talks like this to set us straight.
This might be something not attacked quickly enough in the Academy prep school. The Air Force has a tendency of operating under the "fine young gentlemen" point of view.
I've told this story before, of my first day after taking the Oath in the early 70s, only a short time after the Travis AFB riot:
Our TI was Sgt Jimmy Weeks, a guy from South Carolina who was built like a 180-pound bulldog and talked out of the side of his mouth in a thick Southern drawl.
We'd had a long, long first day, but before putting us to bed, he sat us down on the floor of the dayroom for a last briefing.
"One thing we ain't gonna have in this flight is racial trouble.
The reason we ain't gonna have no racial trouble is because you ain't got no reason to have no racial trouble.
The reason you ain't no reason to have no racial trouble is because you're all the same color, namely green.
You all got the same hair, namely none.
You all got the same daddy, namely me.
And you all got the same wants and desires, namely to get the @$&*#^% out of here."
I think the Air Force is probably tardy giving that speech to the "fine young gentlemen" at the Academy prep school.
Agree with the message-but "put your money where your mouth is" General-conduct a proper investigation, determine who the racists are, and drum them out the gates. Even if their they are the sons of flag officers or politicians. Without accountability, words are just words!
Agree with the message-but "put your money where your mouth is" General-conduct a proper investigation, determine who the racists are, and drum them out the gates. Even if their they are the sons of flag officers or politicians. Without accountability, words are just words!
The odds are very good they're not going to find the people who did this particular thing. The words are good to let them know that the official stance of the Air Force is that it's not tolerated.
But as I said before, that needed to have been made clear to them on the first day, not after there's been an incident...and I suspect it wasn't for the same reason the Travis race riot happened: "Racial problems are for other services. We don't have racial problems in the Air Force."
I've been out of the military for 8 yrs, but had a long career and from day one, I was trained about equal opportunity, sexual harassment, respect for others, and a bunch of other social training - I'm sure these students have gotten their share of training, even at the prep school level. I was just at the AF Academy in July for a week and saw the stuff these young folks go through and left impressed and positive about our future military leaders. This incident doesn't represent the AF, Army or military service as a whole and it is strongly condemned by military leaders.
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