“Bring it!”'
That’s what Joe Diaz, Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) plan coordinator
at Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph, Texas, can now say about the future and
its challenges after the opportunities he’s received through the Air Force over
the years.
This Sunday, July 26, 2015, marks the 25th anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
By prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in the
provision of public services, transportation, employment, telecommunications,
and governmental activities, ADA has had a significant role in helping
countless Americans pursue rewarding opportunities and careers. For Diaz, ADA was also the solution to
transforming his worry and concern about working in a dead-end job into having
the opportunity to get hired into a good job that would lead to a richly
rewarding career path for himself and a secure future for his family.
“Being a civilian
working for the Air Force has changed my life in so many ways,”
says Diaz. “I’m on a career path with career goals—it’s so much more than
a job, I’m part of a team.”
Injured in a tragic accident that severed his
spine at age 19, Joe spent several years healing and adjusting to life in a
wheelchair. While attending the
University of Texas-San Antonio, Joe discovered opportunities to work as a
student intern in the Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) at San Antonio’s Randolph AFB, and
quickly learned about the initiatives leading to full-time work in the Federal
Service. After completing his AFCS
internships and earning his bachelor’s degree in Information Systems in 2007, Joe
joined AFCS as a full-time employee, where he now works to ensure the success
of student interns—like he once was—to become full-time AF civilian
employees.
“Part of my job is
going out on recruiting events, so I feel I’m really contributing to the Air Force
mission,” said Diaz. “Being confined to a
wheelchair I can tell—and show—people I’m the product of a great opportunity—I’m proof that you
can do it and do well as a civilian in the Air Force.”
“Joe is an inspiration to everyone around him,” says Mike Brosnan, AFCS chief of workplace planning
and enterprise recruiting. His enthusiasm and dedication as part of our
Human Resource team, even from the beginning as an intern, inspired us
all. He is a prime example of the power
of an engaged individual who is committed to making a difference.”
In fact, not long
ago Diaz garnered a prestigious award for
creating a new reporting process that saved time and money for AFCS
recruiters. “In 2013, I received
a Special Act Award for improving and streamlining reporting processes,”
he proudly notes, “and I know this is
just the start of what I’m capable of doing and achieving here. I don’t think my luck could be any better.”
“Our increasingly
diverse citizenry places a special trust in us and we must keep that trust by
ensuring our Air Force is representative of the best of the populace from which
we draw our considerable strength,” states a memo signed in March 2015 by Air Force Secretary Debra Lee
James, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, and Chief Master Sergeant of the
Air Force James A. Cody. “We are the product
of our talents, not the sum, and it is our responsibility to create an
environment that best supports and projects our Service's collective and
inclusive excellence.”
Diaz is proof of this commitment. “I was fortunate the Air Force had
programs aimed at promoting diversity—such as the internship I participated in…it gave me the
opportunity to be part of the team. Our
diverse workforce gives us such a bunch of folks with different backgrounds–and that means
different aspects and ideas—all leading to new ways of breaking down and
solving challenges.”
Joe’s next goal is to
be part of the select Air Force Career Broadening Leadership Program. “I want to ultimately be able to better define
current processes and introduce new ideas to meet Air Force goals and
objectives for tomorrow,” he said.
On ADA’s 25th anniversary, the United States Air Force pauses
to celebrate those with remarkable abilities despite their disabilities—people like Joe
Diaz—who make a
tremendous difference every day as Airmen in the USAF.
For more information about and opportunities serving
in the Air Force Civil Service please visit: www.afciviliancareers.com. You can also read more about the Americans
with Disabilities Act at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/disability/ada.htm.