Washington -- The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Mr. Michael L. Dominguez, will hold a press conference announcing "E Pluribus Unum," the language diversity extension of the Your Guardians of Freedom Air Force Parent Pin program. The press conference will be held in the National Press Club's First Amendment Lounge at 2 p.m., Friday, September 12.

"E Pluribus Unum," or "Out of Many, One," is named for the motto on the Great Seal of the United States and evokes both the strength that America derives from the diversity of its citizens and that America's Air Force derives from the diversity of its airmen.

This initiative allows parents, whose primary language is not English, to receive letters from Air Force leadership thanking them for supporting the military careers of their son or daughter in their native tongue through the Parent Pin program. Letters for "E Pluribus Unum" participants are available in 100 languages, including Spanish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Dutch, Greek, Igbo and Romanian.

Approximately 225,000 parents and parental figures have or will receive the letters and "P" pins from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper and Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche.

Approximately 51,235 members of the total Air Force (active duty, Reserve and guard) speak a language other than English. Of those, 25,498 have tested at a level considered proficient by the Air Force, with the majority of airmen exhibiting fluency in Spanish, German, French, Russian and Tagalog.

Media interested in covering this event should contact TSgt. Stephen Prasser, (703) 697-0988, no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, September 11. Media representatives who would like to attend must arrive no later than 1:30 p.m. and provide their media credentials as a form of identification.