Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class William Carlisle | BUSAN, Republic of Korea (May 17, 2018) Sailors assigned Commander, U.S. Naval Forces...... read more read more
Female U.S. Navy Korea Sailors and Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy participated in a combined Korean U.S. Women's Leadership Seminar (KUWLS) at Commander, Republic of Korea (ROK) Fleet base May 17.
This year’s seminar, titled “Adjust the Sails,” focused on adapting to new challenges and how to overcome professional and personal obstacles.
“Bringing in a workforce that includes more women brings a new perspective on how to solve problems,” said Rear Adm. Michael E. Boyle, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK). “Having women in the workplace is not only practically important, but it brings a more diverse range of thought to the team and workforce.”
Throughout the one-day seminar, participants discussed several topics including differences in Korean and American cultures and their effect on leadership tactics and the perception of gender in leadership positions.
“We really focus on leadership,” said Lt. Krista Morris, a contingency engineer assigned to CNFK’s engineering department. “While the number of women in the ROK Navy is much smaller, they still face challenges similar to that of women in the U.S. military.”
“When they see [female] senior enlisted and officers and how we have overcome adversity,” said Command Master Chief Teresa E. Carroll-Gillis, assigned to the “Skinny Dragons” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4. “We become mentors and examples to them. It’s our duty to empower and inspire them.”
This year’s seminar hosted the first female commissioned officer in the ROK Navy and the first female to graduate the ROK Non-commissioned Officer Academy.
“Last year we discussed a variety of topics including: work/life balance, interacting with Sailors as you make rank, ROK-U.S. Navy policy differences, professionalism with male peers and how to have a successful navy career,” said Morris. “And the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. A couple of our ROK participants said they found this event to be relatable, feeling closer to their U.S. counterparts compared to events in the past.”
This year’s topics included: Leadership, mentorship, teamwork, responsibility, and balancing work and family.
KUWLS directly supports initiatives set in place by the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. John Richardson, and the ROK Minister of Defense (MND), Song Young-moo.
The symposium supports one of the CNO’s four “Lines of Effort,” which focuses on building partnerships, and one of six national defense reforms from the MND aimed at expanding the number of female service members and “fully utilizing their expertise while improving the working conditions in a groundbreaking manner.”
“We’ve gone through similar hardships,” said Carroll-Gillis. “The Navy has changed a lot, and we have had many leaders past and present that are advocates for growth and equality.”
“[KUWLS] provides U.S. and ROKN service members a forum where they can share ideas and resources to empower their lives both through personal and professional development,” said Morris. “It builds and maintains a support system between ROK and U.S. Navy women in order to reconnect and share information throughout the year.”
For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnfk.
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2018 02:52 |
| Story ID: | 278624 |
| Location: | BUSAN, KR |
| Web Views: | 166 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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