NAVAL INFORMATION FORCES, SUFFOLK, Va. — Sailors and DoD civilians assigned to Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC), Tenth Fleet, Suffolk and Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) gathered to recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with a ceremony held on May 24.
Rear Adm. Matthew J. Kohler, commander, NAVIFOR, delivered the observance’s opening remarks and introduced the guest speaker.
Rear Adm. Peter A. Gumataotao, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, NATO Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, a native of Guam served as guest speaker for the event held in the Information Dominance Corps Hall of Heroes auditorium.
“Today we take this time to pause and to celebrate,” said Gumataotao. “It’s not just a celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders within our Navy and military but it’s a celebration of the greatest strength of our country which is diversity.”
Rear Adm. Gumataotao considers himself fortunate to live in a great country where there are no limits to opportunities and what you can do with those opportunities.
Gumataotao challenged the audience to take the shot when given the opportunity, “There’s greatness in you that many of you don’t know and good leaders will take a risk on you.”
In closing, Rear Adm. Gumataotao said, “Live your life for some greater purpose other than yourself.”
On May 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush issued a proclamation designating May 1990 as the first AAPI Heritage Month, changing the observance from a week to a month.
This year’s theme, “Walk Together, Embrace Differences, Build Legacies,” encouraged all Sailors and civilian employees to reflect on the impacts of AAPI’s on U. S. history.
According to the Naval Heritage and History Command, there are 24,500 AAPI Sailors serving in the Navy today, including eight admirals and 235 master chief and senior chief petty officers. These Sailors represent more than 56 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages from Asia and the Pacific Islands, living in the United States.
AAPI Heritage Month offers us an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions AAPI have made to our nation, reflect on the challenges still faced by AAPI communities, and recommit to making the American Dream a reality for everyone. AAPIs comprise many ethnicities and languages, and their myriad achievements embody the American experience. Many AAPI communities continue to fight prejudice and struggle to overcome disparities in education, employment, housing, and health care.
NAVIFOR’s mission is to support operational commanders ashore and afloat by providing combat-ready Information Warfare forces which are forward deployable, fully trained, properly manned, and capably equipped.
For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command's web site at www.navidfor.navy.mil, our Navy News Web page at www.navy.mil/local/navidfor or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavyInformationDominanceForces.