MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – One of the greatest strengths of the U.S. Air Force is the diversity of the men and women that serve. Airmen from all over the world come together to accomplish a single mission: keep our country safe.
Airman 1st Class Lammy Vong, financial operations technician from the 5th Comptroller Squadron, came to the United States when she was just ten years old. She was born and raised in Vietnam, and moved to New Jersey with her family as a young girl.

Vong says communities in Vietnam were very small and close-knit. However, she remembers the transition to life in the U.S. being very challenging as she was growing up, which led to many hardships that she had to overcome. She learned to grow and work hard from a very early age, as many responsibilities such as helping her grandmother and family were given to her.
Vong feels that if you hold responsibility, respect will soon follow. She learned to respect her elders and those above her. This is a very high-held value in Vietnamese culture.

“Through the respect I gave my elders came the great honor to learn from them and their vast experiences” said Vong.
Recalling her strong family values, she believes she is open minded to learning from other Airmen who may be able to teach her something new. She has learned the strengths a close community can have, whether in Vietnam, New Jersey, or Minot. She has learned how to handle responsibility, and how to treat others with respect.

“Everyday decisions build upon who you are,” said Vong. “It will create a better you for tomorrow.”