Academy celebrates Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

The Air Force Academy hails the service of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders this month, including the career of a 1993 Academy graduate and former presidential advisor on AAPI issues for the Obama Administration.

Retired Lt. Col.  Ravi Chaudhary, a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours in the cockpit, was also the chief of strategy integration for Air Force Strategic plans and programs and speechwriter for the secretary of the Air Force’s executive action group.

"As Airmen, we come from all types of communities and walks of life," he said in 2014. "When we join together to serve our nation, we also garner insight on the communities of our fellow wingmen we may have otherwise have missed out on.”

“I chose to become a pilot in the U.S. Air Force for one main reason,” Chaudhary said, in a White House commentary. “I am the son of immigrants.”

Tech Sgt. Vanessa Miracle, AAPI Month chair at the Academy, said the DOD’s monthly observances celebrate the collective diversity of the U.S. military. 

“We have a large group of Asian American and Pacific Islanders serving, and it’s important to recognize them since they have fought for our country and enhanced our nation’s history,”

Chaudhary’s last Air Force Assignment before retiring in November 2014 at Joint-Base Andrews, Washington D.C. was executive officer to the commander of the Air Force District of Washington.

Congress has recognized the achievements and contributions of AAPIs since 1978.