Photo By Staff Sgt. Daniel Schroeder | Air Force Staff Sergeant Kyle Conrad's, direct support communicator, 1st Joint...... read more read more
CAMP YONGIN, South Korea - For two U.S. service members, a Soldier and an Airman, seven years of military service can add up to a lot of experience.
But after a 14-hour flight, Capt. Jessamyn Jempson and Air Force Staff Sgt. Kyle Conrad stepped off a plane to a place they found completely foreign.
Jempson, 109th Military Intelligence company commander, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., knew she would be serving in a liaison role in Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2014 at Camp Yongin, South Korea, but not much else.
“I am not deeply familiar with the Korean culture,” said the Albuquerque, N.M., native who spends her 14-hour shifts on the joint operations center floor surrounded by liaisons from Korean battle staffs.
Near the back of the JOC, Conrad, a communications specialist, knew nothing significant prior to his arriving in South Korea. He was initially taken aback by some of the stark contrasts and language barriers.
“This whole two weeks has been good for me to increase my understanding of their culture,” Jempson said.
Halfway through her stay at Camp Yongin, Jempson took advantage of an opportunity to learn more at a local Korean Folk Village.
“This visit definitely opened my eyes,” she said. “I’d spent so much time focusing on European culture that I didn’t pay attention to Asia. The culture is beautiful. From the food to music to fashion to the family-centric events, all were very enjoyable.”
Conrad made the tie during a unit soccer game.
“You can connect during sports,” said Conrad. “Soccer lets us get to know each other faster by crossing over the cultural and language barriers. It provides a situation where it’s less awkward to get to know someone.”
As Conrad spends time with his Korean counterparts, he’s finding that he has more in common than originally perceived.
It is this connection and relationship that the I Corps Commander, Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, was hoping to achieve from this exercise. For Lanza, the more connected his staff is with their Korean counterparts, the more successful the exercise and rewarding all involved.
“If we’re only sustained and engaging with our partners during the exercise, how invested are we in the Pacific?”
It’s a connection that both the leadership and staff say they hope continues long after UFG ends.
“Since my first day, I have learned a lot about the Korean culture,” Conrad said. “They [Koreans] are very respectful to others, practice moderation in a lot of different things, they’re traditional and polite, put others first and are very respectful to their elders. I’m looking forward to learning more.”
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2014 18:26 |
| Story ID: | 140453 |
| Location: | CAMP YONGIN, KR |
| Hometown: | ALBUQUERQUE, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 376 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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