Stayce D. Harris
Stayce D. Harris is a heavily decorated Air Force General. She is the first African American woman to hold a three-star General rank in the Air Force and the first African American woman to serve as Inspector General of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in Washington, D.C. At the end of her decorative career she commanded more than 15,000 citizen airmen, 105 aircrafts, and missions that include specialized hurricane hunter, fire suppression, and aerial spraying. In addition, Stayce has logged more than 2,500 hours in military aircraft.
Stayce was born in Los Angeles, California in 1959. Her mother, a banker, and her father a career airman in the U.S Air Force was a huge inspiration on her joining the Air Force. Stacey graduated from the 71st High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1977 where she started in junior ROTC. It is this experience that also had a profound impact on her decision to join the Air Force. This is how she describes this experience,
“I really found out what it is to, No. 1, be a good citizen because that’s what junior ROTC programs are really about. But they also expose you to the Air Force. I knew that I had that propensity to serve my nation, to be part of something greater than myself and that’s why I decided to join.”
Stayce received her commission in the Air Force via the University of Southern California’s Air Force ROTC program, where she received her B.S. in industrial and systems engineering. In 1987 she received her M.S. in aviation management and one year later completed Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1988.
Further Reading at USC
Patricia E. Grier, First Black Female Flying-Unit Commander
Michael Hughes, What's Your Story?
David Walden, Systems engineering handbook: A guide for system life cycle processes and activities
References
Roy, L. (2020, January 12). Stayce D. Harris. Blackpast. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/stayce-d-harris-1959/
U.S. Air Force (2019, March 19). Lieutenant General Stayce D. Harris. U.S. Air Force. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/931147/lieutenant-general-stayce-dharris/
