Staff and students from the Center for Information Warfare Training and Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a ceremony at the Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station chapel, May 17.

The event, hosted by the IWTC Corry Station Multicultural Committee, provided an opportunity to honor the heritage and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout American history.

"It was great to expose some of our students to Asian American and Pacific Islander culture," said Cmdr. Christopher Eng, IWTC Corry Station's commanding officer. "Cultural diversity helps makes us a stronger Navy, and as the strategic importance of the Pacific region grows, understanding the culture of the Pacific makes us a stronger military."

Members of the Filipino-American Association of Pensacola spoke about the history of the Philippines and performed traditional folk dances. After the presentation, attendees were served lunch from a local Filipino restaurant.

"I thought this was a great experience for all of us students," said Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 3rd Class Daniel Hedler. "Events like this are a great way to teach people about different cultures, and it really makes us eager to get out to the fleet and experience new places."

There are 24,743 Asian American and Pacific Islander Sailors currently serving in the Navy, including eight admirals, 318 officers and 659 master chief and senior chief petty officers. They represent more than 56 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages, in the U.S.

Center for Information Warfare Training delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

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