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It’s early in the morning. The sun climbs up from behind the horizon with its warm light stretching across the water of a 12-mile lagoon. The air is clean and refreshing. The view is breathtaking, but for Saipan’s inhabitants it’s a typical weekend. Here there’s a bustling mix of cultures with weather that allows everyone to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. A place of snorkeling, shrimp farming and family get-togethers. Here the beach is home.
Growing up in Saipan, Lieutenant Richly “Shoobie” Babauata was shaped by both his island’s culture and the work experiences he had there before he joined the Navy team.
“It’s a beautiful island with beautiful people,” says Babauta, a native of the island. “You will find a mix of South Asian, East Asian and Micronesian cultures.”
For Babauta, his upbringing here has been a significant influence on who he is.
“My perspective on life was profoundly shaped by the various jobs I held and the cultural values imparted by my family,” starts Babauta. “Before I turned eighteen, I worked as an ice factory laborer, shrimp farmer, public auditor intern, dishwasher, restaurant server and a barista. However, my family’s culture is the foundation of my moral compass.”
Recently, Lieutenant Babauta worked with the Senior Minority Assistance to Recruiting Program (SEMINAR) program office on a visit to Saipan, hosting a community outreach event which took place late June of this year.
The SEMINAR program was established to aid the Navy in its effort to recruit more Black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander applicants and to enhance the Navy's image in these communities. SEMINAR temporarily returns highly qualified Black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander officers and senior enlisted personnel to their home communities for 20 days to meet with local influential community members and to discuss the vast educational, career and advancement opportunities the Navy offers. For Babauta, he hopes this will begin a relationship between the people of Saipan and the United States Navy.
“The benefits are mutual between the Navy and Saipan,” says Babauta. “An increased Navy presence provides regional stability and security for the Northern Mariana Islands.”
Babauta reached out to his commanding officer, at the time, about conducting outreach in the Northern Mariana Islands. They discussed ideas of conducting outreach in Saipan and he was quickly put in contact with parties who would help him make his vision a reality. Babauta remarks that it felt great to be supported from the get-go and that it was reassuring.
“It felt great to have so much support along the way,” said Babauta. “They fully supported the idea from the first phone call.”
Promoted by the popular, local radio station, the event was held at the Saipan International Airport and was supported by the MH-60S helicopters, assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 “Island Knights”, operating from Guam. The squadron had been supporting the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for years through MEDEVAC, Search and Rescue, and other operations under the full spectrum of HSC missions. However, many who call Saipan home were unacquainted with them.
“Most locals I came across in the islands were still unfamiliar with Naval Aviation,” says Babauta. “But the Saipan Community Outreach event was a great way to show Naval Aviation presence and connect HSC 25 to the people they support.”
What Babauta found was that other military branches were better represented on the island. On Saipan, the “navy.com” website cannot be accessed without using virtual private networks and manipulating IP addresses. Though recruiting websites for all other branches are easier to access.
“A future Sailor informed me that he had to use an Oregon IP address to access the website,” says Babauta. “Later that day, I confirmed it to be true.”
According to Babauta, the consensus when talking to the public was that the Navy’s presence was non-existent.
“This is a challenge because there are no recruiters based in Saipan,” he says. “Good, consistent communication will be important when Establishing presence in Saipan. The Navy can overcome this with more frequent Recruiter visits.”
The closest Navy Recruiting Processing Station to Saipan is the island of Guam, which is over 132 miles away. This coupled with barriers through internet access makes it difficult for natives of Saipan to establish a relationship with the Navy. Babauta believes that building that relationship through continued outreach is worth it.
“A constant presence reinforces our commitment to a free and open United States Indo-Pacific Command,” says Babauta. “Saipan has a healthy pool of smart, potential Future Sailors. They need Navy presence to talk about Navy opportunities.”
When asked about what’s next for the program, Babauta responds saying he hopes to see more outreach events rooted in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and more Naval Aviation support, perhaps with an expansion to Tinian and Rota as well.
“It was great to learn more about the Recruiting Mission while on my SEMINAR visit back home,” says Babauta. “Every supporting entity was excited to make my Saipan SEMINAR a success and that was very reassuring personally. I highly recommend more people take advantage of SEMINAR’s meaningful mission and apply.”
Point of contact for SEMINAR is NCC Latonya Perossier, Program Manager, at (901) 874-7264/DSN 882 or via e-mail at latonya.y.perossier.mil@us.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2024 15:08 |
| Story ID: | 480087 |
| Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sailor’s SEMINAR in Saipan, by PO2 Thaddeus Berry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
