In honor of the late Maj. Biggs’ contributions to the U.S. military, Davis-Monthan’s Resiliency Center has been officially named Major George W. Biggs Integrated Resiliency Center, during a ceremony held on Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, March 24, 2022.
“Maj. Biggs’ life embodies what we try to do here, which is an advanced philosophy of integrated resilience. It involves more than just one thing, one skill and one attribute. It involves preparation for challenges before they come. It involves recovery from the lessons of winning and losing and it involves growth so that we could start the preparation over again. Biggs’ embodied these things and exemplified them with his life,” said Vincent Howard, 355th Wing community support coordinator. “The major epitomized this because he grew from his experiences as a Tuskegee Airman, by being one of the first African American officers on this base to help integrate the service so that America can see our combat capability is enhanced by recognizing everyone’s talents and skills.”
Biggs’ career exemplifies the Resiliency Center’s mission to equip Airmen and families with the tools to prepare for life’s challenges and to recover and grow through adversity.
“This day is dually significant because it’s Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. He and the Tuskegee Airmen are the true examples of resiliency,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Paul E. Sheets, 355th Wing vice commander. “They demonstrated on a daily basis the ability to withstand, recover, grow and thrive in the face of immense challenges, stress and barriers. This group of individuals, exemplified by Maj. Biggs, set the standard for the culture we have today for inclusion and where we see the importance of diversity in the Air Force. Maj. George W. Biggs truly embodied what it means to be resilient.”
Being African American, Biggs experienced first-hand the discrimination Black service members faced throughout his career, but he did not let that ruin his spirit and he rose to the rank of Major.
Because Biggs lived in an era where discrimination was prominent, it gave him the exponential skills and experience to help educate and mentor Airmen.
In 2007, Biggs was among the Tuskegee Airmen who were awarded with the Congressional Gold Medal, an award given by the United States Congress to show appreciation for the achievements and contributions made during their time in service.
In 2020, Biggs passed away at the age of 95. The contributions he made during his military service will continue to be remembered and recognized.
“The ceremony here today also brings awareness to what the Resiliency Center offers and what we can do to bring our teams together and make our Airmen stronger for the mission at hand,” said Tech. Sgt. Melody Reeves, 355th Wing integrated resiliency program manager. “Maj. Biggs’ story of coming up through the Air Force and starting as a Tuskegee Airman – being a pilot, a navigator and a bombardier in three different wars really demonstrates his resilience and shows our Airmen today that if you continue to push through any kind of adversity, anything is possible.”
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