Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month lunch celebrates adaptive leadership Published May 28, 2010 By Kimberly L. Wright Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Lt. Col. Lynda Vu, the 42nd Medical Operations Squadron commander, discussed the diversity of the Asian-Pacific area and the value of adaptive leadership as guest speaker of the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month luncheon Tuesday. She observed the value of adaptive leadership both as an Air Force officer and in her origins. She also provided facts and figures about the diverse and expansive Asian and Pacific region. The story of her mother's upbringing in Vietnam, which she described as a land of thatched roofs, coconuts, rice fields and water buffalo, served as a setting for a personal example of adaptive leadership. As fifth in a family of eight children, Vu's mother was only allowed to obtain a fifth-grade education before family obligations interfered with her schooling. "She had a seed of passion and determination in her heart ... to live a life of freedom and endless opportunity," Colonel Vu said. Colonel Vu's mother moved to the city at age 13, and by age 21, became a widowed mother when her husband died as a result of war. "She saw the Americans as a beacon of hope and inspiration," she said. Colonel Vu's mother married an American soldier and moved to the U.S. "She adapted, overcame and led her children to an amazing life in the U.S.," she said, learning a new culture, language, obtaining a GED and attending college. "She learned a new way of life and made life better for her children," said Colonel Vu. Through her medical work as an Air Force officer at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Colonel Vu was exposed to the challenges posed by the diverse cultural environment of the Pacific. Leaders there strived to be culturally adaptive, "winning hearts and minds." "Adapting leadership to diverse cultures is definitely a challenge," she said. The medical personnel had to respond to the medical needs of islanders across the Pacific with cultural sensitivity, as the relative poverty, scarce resources, differences and logistical challenges made emergency health care challenging. "It helped me appreciate the vastness and diversity of the PACAF theatre of operations," she said. Colonel Vu noted that people of Asian and Pacific Islander decent are not vastly represented in the armed services, with 2 percent of Air Force enlisted personnel and officers designating themselves as Asian-Pacific. She noted, however, that the Department of Defense has come a long way in cultural sensitivity since her commissioning in 1993, when the racial designation for Asian was "yellow." "It has been several years since I've seen that word on my records," she remarked. In addition to the remarks of the guest speaker, the cultural mosaic was enriched by several examples of Asian heritage, including Chinese line dancing, a taekwondo exhibition and a kempo karate exhibition by Airman Christopher Kellogg. Curiosity about other cultures led Senior Airman Milton Weaver of the 754th ELSG to attend the luncheon "to learn a bit more about cultures other than my own. It's the best way to learn more," said Airman Weaver, who recently came back from Korea. Col. Kris Beasley, the 42nd Air Base Wing commander, saluted the diversity represented at the luncheon. The Air Force is enriched by the example of those who persevered and excelled despite the challenges of segregation and cultural insensitivity, he said. "It is that diversity that makes us strong. It is not that we can divide ourselves, it's that we can include ourselves."