# Kendall Ching: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Employee Spotlight

/ Published May 2, 2023
FORT BELVOIR, Va., 
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an annual celebration held in May that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent – including East, Southeast and South Asia – and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

The National 2023 theme is: "*Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity."*

Defense Logistics Agency Energy is highlighting employees of AAPI heritage who are honoring their history and making a difference through their accomplishments both in their workplace and community.

**Please tell us your name and a little bit about your career:**

*My name is Kendall Ching. I am a 4th generation Japanese/Chinese American born and raised in Hawaii.  I am a project engineer in the DLA Energy Indo-Pacific Engineering, Environmental & Property Division based out of Yokota Air Base, which is located outside of Tokyo, Japan. I thoroughly enjoy my experience both inside and outside of work and will definitely miss the unbelievable ramen and sushi when my overseas tour with DLA ends in the summer of 2024.*

**Describe your job in a sentence:**

*My job involves the project management and oversight of major fuel facility repair and construction projects at nine  Navy Defense Fuel Support Points in mainland - Japan. ~~.~~  After explaining what I did to my oldest son a few months ago, he literally told me, “Oh.... that is kind of boring,” while not even trying to hide the disappointment on his face. However, I am honestly grateful for the job I have and am already used to disappointing my son so thankfully it didn’t bother me that much.*

**How long have you worked at DLA?**

*I have almost four years of service with DLA Energy. I joined DLA in the summer of 2019 when I applied for and was fortunate enough to be offered my current position.  Before my tenure at DLA, I had work experience in both the private sector as an integrated circuit design engineer and in - various positions within the Department of Defense as an Information Technology project engineer.  Mostly good experiences, but also a few horrible ones right out of the movie Office Space.*

**What is your favorite thing about working for DLA?**

*My favorite thing about working for DLA are the ways that employees are valued throughout the organization and are given various professional opportunities to pursue. From a high-level perspective, there are benefits like the fitness and wellness plan, career advancement and shadowing programs, and flexible work options to name just a few.  And within my small swim lane at DLA, I have experienced a culture of trust and support from my immediate chain of command and coworkers which provides me the autonomy and motivation to complete my job. Although I cannot speak for all facets of the DLA enterprise, I believe as a whole DLA is a head above a lot of other organizations in valuing the importance of the employee, which ultimately improves the work that we do. When my overseas tour with DLA ends, I would be more than happy to continue my employment with DLA if given the opportunity to do so (shameless plug alert).*

**What are your best memories of working here?**

*Off the top of my head, some highlights include crawling into empty oil storage tanks that can easily fit several houses and walking along the top of the world’s largest DOD fuel tank in Sasebo, Japan, which takes up an area the size of three football fields. These were done as a part of DLA’s routine tank cleaning and inspections.*

**How do you make a difference?**

*With the understanding that people and relationships are the most important asset to any organization or project, I try my best to foster an open environment of respect and trust by doing my best to listen, ask questions, and understand before acting on anything.*

**What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) mean to you?**

*I hope that AAPI and the various other heritage months throughout the year would foster a sense of awareness, appreciation, and respect for the contributions of different societies in American history. For me, remembering events like the hardship of the World War II Japanese-American internment camps in contrast with the achievements of the World War II 442nd regiment (the most decorated combat team that was made up of these same interned Japanese-Americans) allows me to recognize the achievements, struggles, and tribulations of people like myself. Although I can’t say that this directly affects me in day-to-day life, it does provide me a sense of gratefulness, respect, and confidence for what I relate to as an individual.  Sometimes having that simple change in mental perspective can go a long way towards the never-ending pursuit of one’s individual happiness, especially for a minority like myself.*