When engineers from across the globe converged in Guam and the Philippines for an intensive training event, a standout group of LEAP Scholars helped strengthen bonds and elevate the learning experience.
“This event was the Allies & Partners Engineer Summit; a multifaceted exercise designed to foster collaboration and enhance interoperability among civil engineering teams from 15 participating nations,” said 2nd Lt. Steve Han from the 71st STUS (Student Squadron), Vance AFB, Okla. “The summit, conducted under the Silver Flag Program (Silver Flag is a multi-day field training exercise that gives Airmen practical experience with the tools, systems, and scenarios they would face when establishing, sustaining, or recovering an airbase under expeditionary conditions), included both a Key Leader Engagement (KLE), which focused on strategic discussions and relationship building and an Allies & Partners Engineer Exercise (APEX), where practical skills and joint operational procedures were tested and refined. I specifically participated in the APEX, facilitating communication and cultural understanding within the exercise. The overall objective was to strengthen partnerships within the Indo-Pacific region and improve coordinated responses to potential crises and engineering challenges.”
The eight LEAP Scholars who participated in the exercise were willing to be flexible to accomplish any challenge that presented itself.
“During the event, LEAP scholars were assigned to two groups,” said 1st Lt. Yu Lei, Medical Readiness Flight Commander, Luke Medical Group, Luke AFB, Ariz. “One group was responsible for translating at the Key Leader Engagement portion, which involved higher ranking military officials from 15 INDOPACOM partner nations. The second group was assigned to translate at the tactical level training events. I was assigned to the second group. At the training site, approximately 160 foreign military members, as well as translators, were divided into six teams, and we rotated to different training topics for hands-on training for the first three days. The last two days were competition between the six teams, as well as a closing ceremony.”
“Senior Airman Zuo and I were attached to Team One for APECS’s Silver Flag training event,” said Staff Sgt. Cory Rooker, NCOIC RAWS (Radar, Airfield and Weather Systems) Training, 35 OSS/OSAM, Misawa AB, Japan. “Our team was comprised of Active-Duty service members from the USAF, JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Force), RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force), Singapore Air Force, and Indonesian Air Force. It was an MCA/MRA (Multi-Capable Airman/Mission Ready Airman) style training event focused on Contingency Response for our PACAF allies to gain hands on training from Red Horse. For all the allies it was a new experience as they do not usually conduct MCA/MRA training nor do they respond to CR (Contingency Response) operations in the same way as the USAF does … We were both attached as translators and interpreters for the exercise. Senior Airman Zuo was Chinese-Mandarin, and I was Japanese. We were acting as the grease and glue for Team One at the start of the exercise. We both also participated directly in the Silver Flag training as well allowing us to learn the basics of the CR (Contingency Response) mission.”
True to form, LEAP Scholars were a vital component in making this exercise a success.
“Besides bringing our language expertise into the field, we also helped bring our partners, allies, and branches closer together, enhanced our relationships, and showed respect for their cultures,” said Capt. Alex Hoffendahl, a force development analyst with the Research, Analysis & Data Division (AFPC/DSYA), JBSA Randolph, Texas. “By providing language capability and understanding the meaning behind their words, we reduce unnecessary misunderstandings or misinterpretations.”
“The participation of LEAP Scholars in this event supported critical USAF objectives by leveraging their specialized language skills, in-depth regional expertise, and refined cross-cultural competence in a multi-national environment,” said Han. “This event would not have been possible without LEAP Scholars. The LEAP Scholars that I worked with navigated the complex cultural landscapes of this event, built trust and rapport with our partners, and promoted a shared understanding of mission goals. This greatly enhanced the overall effectiveness of the joint exercise and strengthened international relationships from top to bottom, which I believe ultimately advanced U.S. strategic interest in the INDOPACOM region.”
The impact and cost effectiveness that LEAP Scholars bring to a mission are reasons why exercise organizers continue to seek their participation in training events.
“LEAP is fundamental to the success of events like this,” said Capt. Celyn Rogers, a project engineer with the 554th Red Horse Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam. “When you’re combining airmen who speak eight different languages mixed with numerous pieces of heavy equipment, the LEAP airmen are critical in ensuring safety information is correctly passed along to the participants. More importantly, LEAP airmen drove the relationships that grew throughout the event to foster the comraderies between our partners and the USAF.”
The exercise organizers are not the only ones who benefit from LEAP Scholars participation in these events. The Scholars themselves gain valuable insights and sharpen their technical expertise as well as their culture and language skills.
“This mission significantly enhanced my comprehension of technical language specifically related to civil engineering and disaster response, expanding my professional vocabulary and improving my ability to translate complex concepts,” said Han. “I now have confidence that when I work with them in the future, specifically in airfield operations, I will be able to provide accurate, beneficial contributions based off of experience. I also found a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives and communication styles through this exercise. Overall, I gained invaluable practical and leadership experience in applying my language and leadership skills in a demanding, real-world environment, reinforcing the critical importance of effective cross-cultural communication."
LEAP Scholars’ participation in these exercises is also an asset for the U.S. and its partner allies, and their contributions have substantial mission impact.
“Exercises like this one are crucial for bolstering interoperability between coalition partners,” said 1st Lt. Masahito Nishimura, a program manager with the Workforce Management and Education Office, Wright Patterson AFB. “It supports INDOPACOM interests by enhancing coalition warfare capabilities, improving expeditionary training. Specifically, it assisted in boosting the sortie capability and tempo of coalition aircraft derived from rapid airfield repair, bolstering operational reach and recovery.”
The Air Force Culture and Language Center, which administers the LEAP program, uses several methods to cultivate the language, regional expertise and culture skills of LEAP Scholars. This development ensures that they will be force multipliers when tasked with missions.
“I followed the LITE checklist provided by AFCLC and it went smoothly,” said Lei. “AFCLC also send out emails to remind me tasks I need to complete. (They are) hands down the best USAF organization I have worked with so far.”
“In the most recent eMentor class, the instructor tasked the scholars with translating military articles and news reports,” said Senior Airman Zhi Zuo, from the 627th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. “This exercise enhanced my understanding of military terminology and highlighted differences in word usage across cultures. It also improved our translation accuracy and increased the speed during real-time interpretation.”
“The eMentor course that I took previously enabled me to use military terms that I had not known previously,” said 2nd Lt. Sung Choi, a graduate research assistant with the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. “It also enabled me to think more critically and strategically while helping translate throughout this exercise resulting in more effective translation.”
While the AFCLC equipped them with a strong foundation, the opportunity to train directly with personnel from other services and countries was an exceptional opportunity that only comes with missions like this.
“It was exciting to work with other allies and branches as they shared their unique perspectives on A4 logistics and air repair mission execution, and acknowledged the common difficulties encountered across the force and the similar paths to solving them,” said Hoffendahl. “As a LEAP Mandarin scholar, I learned another side of the operational world, how things work, their importance, and gained insights into civil engineering.”
“Working within a diverse team composed of personnel from the ROK (Republic of Korea) Air Force and Navy, Australia, Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia fostered a greater sense of teamwork and collaboration,” said Han. “This experience was eye-opening for me, allowing me to understand a wide range of perspectives and approaches to civil engineering challenges and military concerns across the world, broadening my understanding of international cooperation in disaster response and infrastructure development.”