A Day with the Military

Last week I assisted our Defense Attaché as he hosted his foreign counterparts from the United Kingdom, China, Russia, India, Turkey, and Bangladesh on a visit to the U.S.S. Kearsarge. The purpose of the visit was two-fold. We wanted to demonstrate military transparency as well as showcase our cyclone relief operations.

We flew to Barisal, the staging area for much of the relief effort, on a C-130. Even though this was exciting because it was my first trip on this type of military aircraft, the most entertaining part was seeing how much fun the foreign military officers were having, and the day was only just beginning. From Barisal, we took a helicopter to the Kearsarge. Upon our arrival, we received a briefing on our humanitarian assistance to the cyclone victims up to that point.
We then dined with U.S. military officers in the Officers’ Mess Hall. It was particularly interesting to interact with officers my own age and educate each other on our chosen, and somewhat parallel, careers of service. Following lunch, we toured the ship. We visited the bridge -- where the Captain and his crew steer the ship, the medical unit, the hangar, and the gym.

Earlier in the day, one of the foreign officers asked me why we have women in our military. I explained to him that in the U.S., women and minorities have equal opportunities in the workplace, to include the military. On the ship, we were introduced to “the person in charge” of our relief operations, Admiral Carol M. Pottenger. And throughout the day, our foreign military guests interacted with the impressive U.S. military men and women working together on the ship.

By the end of the day, our group had really bonded and it was as though we were no longer divided by international boundaries and agendas. The exposure to our relief efforts combined with personal encounters with members of our military seemed to reinforce positive perceptions and change negative ones. Even the foreign officer who initially expressed skepticism about women in the military appeared more receptive to the idea. Not only did we accomplish our goals for the day, but we fostered friendships and goodwill too. It was an experience I think all of us will remember for a long time.

Loye H. (Department of State employee)