Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Capt. Joshua Hu (center) assists officials during their visit to the People’s Liberated Army navy hospital ship, the ARK PEACE, by the U.S. Pacific Command surgeon general and staff during Rim of the Pacific 2014. This was the first time Chinese ships participated in RIMPAC, the largest maritime exercise in the world. (Courtesy photo)Airman helps strengthen bond between US, China
                        
                        
                        Capt. Joshua Hu (center) assists officials during their visit to the People’s Liberated Army navy hospital ship, the ARK PEACE, by the U.S. Pacific Command surgeon general and staff during Rim of the Pacific 2014. This was the first time Chinese ships participated in RIMPAC, the largest maritime exercise in the world. (Courtesy photo)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Airman helps strengthen bond between US, ChinaPublished March 11, 2015
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
                    
                    
                    15th Wing Public Affairs
            **JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) --***(This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)*
An Airman assigned to the 15th Operations Support Squadron here, is tapping into a unique set of skills to support the U.S. Pacific Command's priority of strengthening its foreign partnerships.
Capt. Joshua Hu, a 15th OSS executive officer, speaks Mandarin Chinese and has used his ability to translate to support three PACOM missions over the last year.
Hu said his previous job on the PACOM surgeon's staff set him up for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that followed.
When the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Senior Medical Delegation from China made their inaugural visit to the U.S., the Air Force was in need of someone who could translate English to Chinese, and Hu stepped up to the plate.
The Taiwan native then travelled with the delegation from Hawaii to the Pentagon in Washington D.C., to translate for meetings with the joint service assistant secretary of defense for health affairs and the Air Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy surgeons general.
"One day, I was here in Honolulu, and the next, I was at the Pentagon translating for very high-level officials," he said. "Honestly, it was nerve wracking, but I got enjoyment out of helping build and strengthen the relationship between U.S. and China."
Following his work for the PLA delegation visit, Hu was then offered another opportunity to put his translation skills to work during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 when PLA sent their navy hospital ship, the ARK PEACE, to participate in the exercise for the first time in history.
During the exercise, Hu was responsible for negotiating the exercise schedule, coordinating ship distinguished visitor tours and translating. His work eventually landed him on the PLA ship where he spent 10 days controlling helicopter operations and liaising with RIMPAC command and control nodes. Hu is credited with helping land the first U.S. helicopter on the ship.
Hu's work efforts during RIMPAC were described as "critical to the engagement effort," by U.S. Navy Capt. Lynn Wheeler, the executive officer onboard the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19).
"It is impossible to describe how valuable he has been," she said. "All of the members of the team have been critical to this effort, but his experience in this role has paid huge dividends."
After his success with RIMPAC, Hu said he was pleasantly surprised to learn he'd been selected to help out with another high-level mission, this time serving as the interpreter for PACOM's reciprocal senior medical delegation visit to China.
"The entire experience has been cool ... being a part of history," he said.
Though Hu, who lived in Taiwan until he immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 10, has been speaking Mandarin all his life, he said he still studies to prepare for interpreter jobs, because they are a lot of responsibility.
"I am fluent in the language, but I don't translate full time, so I had to study on my own to make sure I did a good job," he said. "Normal conversation is different than official function dialogue, and you have to make sure you translate the right words, so you don't commit any diplomatic or protocol errors."
Hu said being a good interpreter also means understanding the culture and the context of words, so the right messages are not lost in translation.
"You don't want to fail at this," he said. "You want to make sure you do the best you can, so you can enhance the relationship between the U.S. and China."
Though Hu has returned to his primary job as the 15th OSS executive officer, he said he looks forward to the future and what new opportunities may bring.
"I'm very appreciative to my leadership and PACOM for giving me these opportunities," he said. "I wouldn't have had these opportunities or been able to go on these trips if not for the support of my leadership in both commands."
In the meantime, Hu plans to keep his translating skills sharp by hosting workshops to teach interested Airmen the basics of the language.China 



PACOM 



PACAF 



Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam 



Hawaii 



TAE Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil