Diversity in the Air Force: Capt Varun Pande

DIVERSITY IN THE AIR FORCE:

Capt Varun Pande

By Grant Boyd

One of the most important bridges between dreams and reality is the belief that something can be accomplished. Whether it be stepping foot on the moon, running a four-minute mile or receiving a college degree, seeing someone else reach an important milestone paves the way for others to dare to do the same in the future.

This is also the case for youth who hope to one day have a career in a military cockpit. Whether they wish to fly a fighter aircraft, a tanker, a bomber or anything else, many young aviation hopefuls look up to someone who has successfully earned their wings in the armed forces.

But for those who want to wear the flight suits of these commissioned officers down the road, there is a lot to consider. If these impressionable minds do not see someone who looks like them in this position, do they still believe they are capable of becoming a military pilot? Oftentimes, a person’s answer to that question is highly influenced by their own environment and experiences, notes Capt Varun Pande, something he is familiar with as an Airman from a diverse background.

Capt Pande is a thirty-year-old Indian American pilot in the United States Air Force. While he notes there have been times in his career where he has felt different from many of his fellow pilots in terms of race and skin color, he has identified many instances where these differences were helpful for him and his team in overcoming obstacles. By shifting his mindset related to his own diversity towards being viewed as an opportunity to contribute to success, others around him have been positively impacted. By doing so, Capt Pande has not only helped those he has worked directly alongside, but also those who are not aware of his story, but hope to dream to one day be in his shoes.

He did not grow up with the goal of becoming a pilot, but rather had his sights set on a career with the Air Force. As such, he was active in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) in high school, as well as AFROTC in college. While at James Madison University studying intelligence analysis, he planned to pursue a role as an Intelligence Officer. When he entered his sophomore year though, he became interested in a new possibility: becoming an aviator. So, he took some introductory lessons at a local flight school to see if it was a rewarding fit. That was all it took for Capt Pande to make the decision to fly for the Air Force. After graduating from college, he started his career in May 2013 with Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and has since enjoyed flying two major weapon systems and four total aircraft, each with their own missions.

Reflecting on that first year of rigorous training, Capt Pande says he was lucky to be there, as others with similar goals had not made it to that point due to medical or other reasons. From there, he briefly notes what to expect during this intense year-long training in T-6s.

He states that pilot slots in each UPT graduating class are based upon performance during the program and that pilots are eventually “racked and stacked” for selection for their aircraft and first assignment. He continues by saying, “I was chosen to become a C-17 pilot, which is a very popular airframe for people wanting to fly ‘heavies’ [or] cargo and tanker aircraft.” The mission of the C-17 Globemaster III can be best summarized as “the most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force.” As the Air Force’s description of the four-engined, 282,400-pound aircraft continues, “The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations.”

The aircraft’s flexible use within the Air Mobility Command’s operations provided Capt Pande the opportunity to fly a variety of missions during his three-and-a-half-year tenure on the aircraft while stationed at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina. He speaks highly of his time flying the transport aircraft, saying, “I was fortunate to fly the C-17. What I enjoyed most about the aircraft was the ability to travel to locations that many other military pilots typically would not fly to. I had flown the aircraft to locations from Tel Aviv, Israel, to New Delhi, India, as well as downrange (deployed overseas).”

Stepping outside your comfort zone has a way of opening the door to new opportunities and an exciting one presented itself to the aviator in 2018. As the Air Force began integrating the KC-46 Pegasus into its aerial refueling arsenal, the call for pilots went out to every active Airman. Capt Pande was one of the many aviators, each with varied flight hours and types of aircraft flown, who quickly signified their interest in transitioning to this aircraft.

As with most things, this mission is not without challenges. Because the KC-46 is a new addition to the Air Force’s fleet, its pilots work hard to ensure it meets the Air Force’s strict operational criteria. Luckily, because of Capt Pande’s experience flying the C-17, which is a Boeing product like the KC-46, he says his transition to the new airframe has been fairly seamless.

While flying different aircraft has helped him to grow as a pilot, he attributes a lot of his success to his life experience. As an Airman with a diverse background, Capt Pande has been able to approach his role with a unique perspective. One benefit of being the son of immigrants, is his inherent diversity of thought, which Capt Pande notes the Air Force has no lack of. Being able to bring a different perspective to the Air Force’s community has been beneficial to the aviator, especially while working on the KC-46 program.

Armed with his own personal experiences, Capt Pande is working to help attract a more diverse talent pool to the Air Force. He notes that there are several things that have historically hindered diversity in the cockpit.

Coming from a background where “accepted career paths are being a doctor, lawyer or engineer, and not a pilot,” he understands why people from various circumstances do not pursue a military aviation career. He goes on to say, “It’s not that my culture doesn’t value the military or flying, it’s just that my, and others’, community has limited exposure and knowledge about these career paths.”

Because this issue is prevalent across multiple demographic segments within the country, Capt Pande hopes that more education about opportunities in the Air Force will reach these traditionally underrepresented populations. He is proud to act as a visual representation for Indian Americans and other diverse youth who are interested in an Air Force aviation career.

For more information related to diversity and inclusion within the U.S. Air Force, please visit: https://www.af.mil/Diversity/.