“I’m originally from the Philippines. When I joined, there was a very small number of Asian American/Pacific Islanders...but now in the Air Force, you see a bigger population. We’ve had 4-star generals, astronauts, Medal of Honor winners, and so it’s cool to see what Asian-Pacific people have done for, not just the military, but for the Air Force. I’m proud to be one of them, to inspire some of the Airmen and NCOs who are Asian-Pacific. One of my mentors was a Hawaiian chief. He told me what it took to make E-9, and I followed his lead, and it worked for me. So I’m just trying to give back and try to do that for the next generation." - Chief Master Sgt. Joe Dittman