Troop Support celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month

PHILADELPHIA -

The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support's Clothing and Textiles supply chain and Equal Opportunity Office sponsored an Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month event May 8.

AANHPI Heritage month runs through the month of May and celebrates the contributions, service and sacrifice that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have made to the nation's history, society, and culture.

DLA Troop Support Deputy Commander Kishayra Lambert talked about the importance of these events, which spotlight the diversity of the nation as a whole, as well as here at Troop Support.

"Events like today are an important part of our culture," she said. "Not only do they afford us the opportunity to learn from one another, but they also remind us to recommit to creating an environment of equity and inclusion that allows our organization to grow and prosper."

This year's theme is, "Advancing Leaders Through Innovation," an idea that is well understood at Troop Support, according to Lambert.

"Innovation is not a new word here at Troop Support," she said. "Our senior leaders are always looking for new ways to enhance the superior support we provide our customers daily."

Special guest and keynote speaker, Byung Kim was once one of Troop Support's customers while he served as a tank and scout platoon leader with the Army's 2^nd Infantry Division and later with the 82^nd Airborne Division.

He recalled a time when he arrived at Fort Liberty, Ga., as part of a new brigade combat team.

"I was in a formation of about 30 people, which was supposed to be a battalion," he said. "We had no supplies, no weapons. We were waiting on hundreds of soldiers and employees to come and be a part of the brigade and we were going to deploy in 12 months. So absolutely, I recognize the importance of DLA. In my mind you guys are the backbone of the military."

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim immigrated to northeast Philadelphia with his family when he was two. His parents worked minimum wage jobs, saving up every dollar and penny until they were able to open a corner store in North Philadelphia where Kim would work on the weekends as a child. Eventually they were able to open a dry cleaning company, which they ran successfully for 20 years.

Kim said, looking back, he was extremely impressed with his parents' tenacity to succeed in a foreign country.

"I think about my parents, leaving their jobs, leaving their friends and families to go halfway around the world with very little money, to a country they knew very little about, with their two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, for the American dream," he said. "The boldness and fearlessness that my parents exuded is absolutely what other immigrants coming to this nation are all about. And we should definitely recognize that aspect."

Kim also spoke about times in his life where he experienced racism and ignorance.

"There were definitely challenges growing up as an Asian in the U.S. as well as in the military," he said. "And I would say that for any minority. If you live here long enough you will experience racism, that's a fact."

He added that a lot of the racism he experienced was the result of biases and ignorance that accumulates over one's life and that events like this one are good ways to combat that.

"Being able to get this out in the open and share experiences, I believe that's part of the solution to lead towards a better understanding of each other," he said. "And hopefully promote, motivate that mutual respect that everyone should have."

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