WEBVTT 00:04.391 --> 00:06.680 - We are doing a non-commissioned officers 00:06.680 --> 00:07.753 leadership continuum. 00:07.753 --> 00:11.253 So today's the start of a three-day course 00:11.287 --> 00:14.698 with petty officers from the Keijo Jieitai 00:14.698 --> 00:16.545 and United States Navy. 00:16.545 --> 00:18.505 I have 10 sailors here from the Keijo Jieitai, 00:18.505 --> 00:20.884 and I've got 10 sailors here from the United States Navy. 00:20.884 --> 00:23.959 Facilitators from both nations hosting this course. 00:23.959 --> 00:26.598 We recognize in the leadership, both on the U.S. Navy 00:26.598 --> 00:28.681 and in the Keijo Jieitai, 00:28.910 --> 00:31.530 that good non-commissioned officers 00:31.530 --> 00:35.575 and good petty officers that have strong relationships 00:35.575 --> 00:39.742 across the services, those tend to be better leaders. 00:40.800 --> 00:44.354 Unfortunately, sometimes we start much, much later 00:44.354 --> 00:47.153 in their career, and the goal of this is really 00:47.153 --> 00:50.486 to do that much earlier in their career. 00:50.683 --> 00:54.284 The hope would be that, as they grow here in Japan 00:54.284 --> 00:57.454 and in their respective services, that they'll continue 00:57.454 --> 00:59.517 to reach across the aisle 00:59.517 --> 01:02.517 and learn and grow from one another. 01:03.749 --> 01:07.416 - Basically, I was chosen by sensei of CNFJ. 01:07.765 --> 01:09.860 His aide actually approached me 01:09.860 --> 01:12.027 with the opportunity to be 01:12.168 --> 01:14.700 an attendee of this class, and I promptly jumped on board 01:14.700 --> 01:16.215 and said, yes, I definitely want to be a part of it. 01:16.215 --> 01:20.079 I'm hoping to build a better, bilateral communication 01:20.079 --> 01:23.024 to build a better and everlasting relationship 01:23.024 --> 01:26.107 with the Japanese self-defense force. 01:27.464 --> 01:29.901 I had so much to learn, not only from the Japanese 01:29.901 --> 01:33.102 and the facilitators but also from my peers that were there. 01:33.102 --> 01:36.032 I learned so much in this than I have probably learned 01:36.032 --> 01:38.821 about the Japanese in my whole 13 years in Japan. 01:38.821 --> 01:42.988 I'll say that the most value of getting with the JMSDF 01:43.367 --> 01:46.089 is having come on board with our association. 01:46.089 --> 01:48.383 They currently don't have one, so I would like for them 01:48.383 --> 01:51.756 to come over, if possible, to be a part of our organization, 01:51.756 --> 01:54.055 to be a part of our committees, so we can learn 01:54.055 --> 01:56.664 from each other, basically, build that bilateral 01:56.664 --> 01:59.728 relationship that we need in the junior ranks 01:59.728 --> 02:02.145 that we don't have currently. 02:03.604 --> 02:07.771 - Our base and U.S. Navy base, are located so close, 02:08.427 --> 02:10.931 but I did not have chance to communicate 02:10.931 --> 02:13.931 with the petty officer in U.S. Navy. 02:13.963 --> 02:17.528 I was a little bit nervous, but I really enjoyed it. 02:17.528 --> 02:19.716 Discussion is kind of difficult for us. 02:19.716 --> 02:22.005 Especially we have a language barrier. 02:22.005 --> 02:24.005 But everyone is so kind, 02:24.491 --> 02:27.491 and we try to understand each other. 02:28.554 --> 02:29.971 Very interesting. 02:31.310 --> 02:35.453 U.S. Navy and JMSDF, we have similarity and differences, 02:35.453 --> 02:38.434 but since we didn't know each other, I was thinking 02:38.434 --> 02:40.334 I cannot get along with them. 02:40.334 --> 02:43.764 But after taking this course, we have lots of similarity, 02:43.764 --> 02:46.191 so I feel more familiar with them, 02:46.191 --> 02:50.358 and that makes me feel easier to cooperate with them. 02:50.664 --> 02:53.674 After I get a higher rank, like chief petty officer, 02:53.674 --> 02:57.423 then I feel more easier to do something together 02:57.423 --> 02:59.006 with the U.S. Navy. 02:59.792 --> 03:03.502 I'm really happy to join this course this time, 03:03.502 --> 03:07.585 and hopefully we can keep this course every year. 03:07.827 --> 03:10.827 It's not only for chief or officers. 03:11.674 --> 03:14.807 It is important for us petty officer to communicate 03:14.807 --> 03:18.224 with each other, so that we can cooperate 03:18.353 --> 03:21.603 in making something good in the future. 03:23.493 --> 03:26.619 - This is a unique experience for the Japanese side 03:26.619 --> 03:29.635 in that this is a facilitated course. 03:29.635 --> 03:31.446 So it's a course that we've asked them to kind 03:31.446 --> 03:33.253 of challenge one another's opinions. 03:33.253 --> 03:36.231 On the U.S. side, getting to see a different aspect 03:36.231 --> 03:39.491 of discipline and a different aspect of the way 03:39.491 --> 03:42.332 perhaps their counterparts in the Japanese Navy 03:42.332 --> 03:45.915 go after problems, I think only strengthens 03:46.090 --> 03:48.173 their leadership toolkit. 03:48.501 --> 03:51.345 In one aspect, I hope that there's a lot of networking 03:51.345 --> 03:53.149 and friendship that's born out of this, 03:53.149 --> 03:56.752 but in the other, I really think that by understanding 03:56.752 --> 03:59.766 where I sit but having an appreciation for where you sit, 03:59.766 --> 04:01.983 those sailors are just gonna be stronger leaders 04:01.983 --> 04:03.233 moving forward.