BREAKING BARRIERS - Determined air battle manager takes diversity to new heights

UNITED STATES

12.21.2018

Story by Mark Hybers 

Air Force Sustainment Center

“One of the biggest things that I think people should take note of about the Air Force is that we put aside what we believe and what our backgrounds are. Race, religion, ethnicity and political parties get put aside to accomplish the mission. I think that’s awesome. I think that’s how it should be.”
She speaks with an intensity that belies her small frame. There’s a power to her presentation that almost forces people to listen to what she has to say.
Lt. Col. James Ord, commander, 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, calls her a selfless leader, subject matter expert, friend, mentor and a person of unquestionable integrity.
960th AACS Flight Commander Capt. Linh-Dan Trinh is a first-generation Vietnamese-American and a living example of how having a diverse background can help one be successful in the U.S. Air Force.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, daughter of two Vietnamese immigrants, Trinh knew at a very early age that she was going to have a career dealing with aircraft in some way, shape or form.
“We went on a trip to a reserve base in Minnesota and they showed us all things aerospace. It was super fascinating to me,” said Trinh. “The thing that really left an impact on me is we got to go out and look at all these static airplanes. There was an A-12 Blackbird that I stood in front of and it was ‘ like’ the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
She wasn’t groomed to be an American military member.
Her parents met in Oklahoma. Her father was an immigrant who was living in Texas and her mom, although Vietnamese, was living in Oklahoma. Their families knew each other back in Vietnam, so when they met, it was meant to be.
Her father became a chiropractor and moved the family to Minnesota where his brothers lived. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and despite being in America, was determined to keep her kids close to their heritage.
“She did not speak English very well and told us that we could learn the language in school, but we would speak Vietnamese at home so she could communicate with us,” said Trinh, adding with a laugh, “My dad always spoke English at home because he just thought he was cool.”
Being raised in a traditional Vietnamese environment as a child, a woman doing anything other than being a housewife was not readily embraced — in fact, not at all.
“They were a little unsure what it meant to be in the military, especially in America,” said Trinh. “We don’t have anybody previously in the military in America.
“My grandfather was in the military in Vietnam and fought for the south, but I don’t think my parents really knew what it would be like for me, a female, to serve in the military.”
Trinh laughs when she tells people her mother groomed her to be the “perfect housewife,” teaching her all the old traits including how to cook traditional meals.
“I think it was a shock to them that I really wanted to join the Air Force,” she said. “They were unsure because I was a girl. I think if I was a guy, they would have been more comfortable.”
Trinh grew up a tom-boy. Once she stood in front of that A-12, her parents should have not had any doubt the determination was real.
Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps was not offered in high school, but once Trinh got to St. Thomas University in Minnesota, she was able to join Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. ROTC was actually her backup plan because the Air Force Academy did not pan out.
“My plan to make my parents OK with me joining the Air Force was to join the academy because that’s where a lot of people go and it’s prestigious,” she said. “Once they realized that I was still going to obtain my education and how many women were in the military, they were on board,” she said, adding emphasis to the word “and”.
That plan derailed slightly she said, because she did not attend the academy and wasn’t able to qualify for pilot training because she didn’t meet the height requirements. She stands 5 feet 3 1/2 inches tall and knew that she needed a waiver to be approved. Instead, she had a backup plan.
“I knew I wanted to be involved with airplanes one way or the other,” she said. “I had a friend who was an air battle manager and that seemed interesting to me. It just seemed more involved, and that’s what I wanted out of my career.”
Trinh wears a lot of hats in her current position as an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control Systems crewmember. She’s an instructor/evaluator, senior director and an air weapons officer. Capt. Linh-Dan “Trixx” Trinh excels at these positions said Ord.
“I place a special amount of trust and responsibility in my flight commanders as they must help me navigate what is best for their people,” he said. “Trixx is an outstanding flight commander. She’s dedicated and thoughtful in her inputs, balancing both the desires of the member and the needs of the Air Force.”
Balance is a trait she had to learn early in life. The differences in culture often made it difficult for Trinh to balance her American and Vietnamese cultures.
“I’m very Americanized in the idea that everybody has the same opportunity in America. I thought if it was something that I wanted to do and something that I was passionate about and I had the opportunity to do, there was no reason for me not to take it,” she said. “Whereas my parents had reservations, especially about me joining the Air Force because a female in that capacity was such a foreign concept to them.”
That didn’t stop a determined Trinh, she pursued her passion of airplanes and the Air Force. Her passion and determination has spilled over to her parents as they now embrace her career as an immigrant, female Air Force officer.
“She is a ‘poster child’ for not just women in service, but anyone in service,” Ord added.
Trinh said she sometimes muses on her Air Force experience, and how the organization balances organizational needs with individual experiences.
“Yes, we in the Air Force value everybody’s different backgrounds and we use those as a strength not a weakness. At the same time, it’s not so important that we need to talk about it all the time because we have better things to do…the mission.”

• Date Taken: 12.21.2018
• Date Posted: 12.21.2018 12:58
• Story ID: 304880
• Location: US