DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE USAF ACADEMY, COLORADO 29 July 2014
MEMORANDUM FOR HQ/USFAFA Office of International Programs (DFIP)
FROM: HQ USAFA/AFCW (Cadet Cultural Immersion Participants Listed in Paragraph 1)
SUBJECT: Cultural Immersion Program to Cambodia, sponsored by the Class of ‘81 Endowment
1. Travelers: Col Martin France (DFAS), C1Cs Dylan Juedeman (CS-37) and Winston Sanks (CS03), C2Cs Lucas Stensberg (CS-36), Hansena Vangen (CS-31), and Annie Von Seggern (CS-22)
2. Preparation: Five cadets were selected by DFIP and Colonel Martin France, Department of
Astronautics, for this cultural immersion trip. The team accomplished an Independent Study 499
course cooperatively sponsored by the Department of Political Science. The 499 course focused on
the reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979), its aftermath, and the current political and developmental
state of the nation. Below are several books from the course reading list:
·
Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors -Pran, Dith
·
The Last One: An Orphaned Child Fights to Survive the Killing Fields of Cambodia Yann, Marin R.
·
Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare - Short, Philip
·
Surviving Cambodia, The Khmer Rouge Regime - Lim, Bun T.
·
Alive in the Killing Fields: Surviving the Khmer Rouge Genocide - Nawuth Keat
·
When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge- Chanrithy Him
·
Cambodia's Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land - Brinkley, Joel
·
A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival- Tully, John
·
The Elimination: A survivor of the Khmer Rouge confronts his past and the commandant
of the killing fields- Panh, Rithy
·
Escaping the Khmer Rouge- Chileng Pa with Carol Mortland
·
The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power, and Genocide in Cambodia- Kiernan, Ben
Additionally, the spring 2014 semester was utilized getting vaccinations, arranging flights,
researching things to do and see in Cambodia, and acquainting ourselves with the NGOs with which
we'd be working, Equitable Cambodia and Developing World Connections.
3. Goals: The goals of this trip were to expose cadets to Cambodian culture and introduce them to
the strategic history of the region and its relationship with the United States. Additionally, the cadets
worked with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in a service role to learn more about the
country and its people first-hand, as well as learned about the operation of NGOs in the developing
world. These goals were accomplished by traveling to historical sites, museums, and meeting people
from different regions, age groups and backgrounds. We traveled to urban and rural areas in
Cambodia to include Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Angkor, Tonle Sap Lake, Kampot, Kep, southern
farmland, coastal, mountain, and river delta regions. Two weeks of the trip were devoted to
participation in community service by building four brick latrines for families in the village of
Odong. We accomplished the service projects by working with the following NGOs:
DEVELOPING WORLD CONNECTIONS is a Canadian Charity, non-profit society, and
international volunteer experience provider. They partner with registered non-profit grassroots
organizations in host countries who direct their energies toward sustainable development projects
and programs.
EQUITABLE CAMBODIA has a long history of facilitating volunteer placements where young
people, students, interns and professionals have the opportunity to participate in meaningful cultural
exchanges, short-term trips and work placements in Cambodia where they can learn about the
people and culture of Cambodia, have meaningful and illuminating interactions with Cambodians
and work to make tangible, positive impacts on the people and communities with whom they work.
4. Itinerary: Travel Agent: Mango Tours, Sokkheang Ly, www.MangoTours.com; Intrepid Travel,
Kheng Senh, www.IntrepidTravel.com
Day 0-2: Travel 20-22 June 2014:
The cadets arrived to Col France’s house on the night of 19 June 2014 for pizza and a bag drag. The
group left for Denver Airport by shuttle early on 20 June. Travel to Phnom Penh took approximately
36 hours with connections in Seattle, and Seoul.
Day 3: Phnom Penh 23 June 2014
The Assistant Defense Attaché, Maj TJ Cerullo (US Army), set up a meeting with representatives
from the US Agency for International Development, Politico-Economic Sections, and the Peace
Corps. We had two full hours with these four. Each of them briefed us on current activities and
discussed projections and priorities. We had plenty of questions and they were extremely informative
and helpful. We learned of US priorities (human rights, political stability, education, and food and
health stability and availability) and how Cambodia is slowly changing in the face of overwhelming
corruption and decades of single-party rule with little real democracy.
Day 4: Phnom Penh 24 June 2014
The Cambodian Royal Palace was our first
stop. From the Palace we went to Wat
Phnom, a large Buddhist temple on a 27m
high hill in the center of the city and then
to another Buddhist Temple to see the
monks praying and watch as they were
served lunch--very peaceful and
interesting. There was also a fair-trades
gift shop and working areas for
craftspeople who were sewing silk articles
and doing wood carving.
Our next stop was the complete opposite of our temple visit--the dark, terrifying Genocide Museum
at the former school which was turned into the Pol Pot Regime's center for torture and execution of
many of Cambodia's educated citizens and leaders from the former Lon Nol Regime. Standing in the
S-21 prison and the Killing Fields was a shocking and, honestly, terrifying experience. It’s one thing
to rationally know that a tragic event has happened somewhere, another to stand among the cells and
the fields where the acts have taken place, and quite another to see the scratches on the walls, the
chains and torture implements on display, and photos of the victims before their deaths – or to see the
skulls of thousands within the Stupa at Choeung Ek and a tooth and a femur bone of a victim sticking
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out of the ground (due to eroding rains, remains of victims are still being found today, nearly four
decades later). The realities of what happened in this country became very real for us, and resolving
that reality with what exists now was a humbling and eye opening experience.
BBQ with Cambodian Students: We joined some English teachers, officers and NCOs from
SOCPAC for a barbecue and discussion with Cambodian National Defense University students who
are in the English Language Immersion Program. The cadets had a great time mingling with the
Cambodian students and officer trainees.
Day 5-8: Siem Reap 25-27 June 2014
The final cultural, tour-based part of this immersion was visiting the ancient Khmer temples
constructed as early as the 10th century. The temple complex, known as Angkor, is the largest in the
world, covering over 400 square kilometers and consisting of 246 individual temples. Angkor Wat,
the largest temple in the complex and the largest religious monument in the world was our second
stop after a smaller temple. Over 720 meters of carved sandstone revealed the Hindu stories
fundamental to the Khmer culture’s religion, as well as
the history of the time the temple was built, including
laws and punishments implemented among the Khmer
people. We proceeded to Angkor Thom, famous for its
216 large Buddha faces carved into the ornamentation
of the temple spires.
Ta Prohm: Overgrown with plants and picturesque
banyan trees, this temple featured in the Tomb Raider
movies was our next stop. Later we visited Banteay
Srei, a smaller but very ornate temple in a rural area far
from the other temples.
Day 9: First day on the Job in Kep 30 June 2014
In the village of Odong our group was split up into two groups of Colonel France, C/Sanks, and
C/Von Seggern and another of C/Juedeman, C/Stensberg and C/Vangen. The first work locations
were very close together making communicating with the families and contractors much simpler. The
first day included starting to dig the holes to act as septic tanks (four large cement rings to be almost
completely buried under the ground behind the latrines) and laying the first rows of bricks as the
foundation for the latrine.
Day 10-12: Kep 1-3 July 2014
The next three days included layers of garbage and tree stumps to dig through, a
very shallow water table continuously filling the holes with water and rain. We
learned new skills including properly laying bricks and putting stucco on the
walls of the latrine from workers who couldn’t speak English outside of telling us
“no” when we were doing something wrong. We caught on quick enough to
make major progress and by Thursday had a product that actually resembled a
structure that would withstand some of the monsoon weather. The families also
provided us with freshly picked coconuts to drink and bananas to snack on.
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Day 13: Kep 4 July 2014
1st and 2nd Latrine Completion – July 4th Celebration
We picked up some snacks and drinks to share with the
two families in order to celebrate July 4th and celebrate
finishing the two outhouses. It was an incredible
experience to learn so much from these villagers. The
families even taught simple words to make communication
simpler. C/Vangen and C/Von Seggern also experienced
the difference in cultures regarding how female labor is
viewed. The female children from the families would just
sit and watch, somewhat confused that the female cadets
were working alongside the contractors, their fathers and brothers. The Cambodian men who were
working at the sites were also very cautious of what C/Vangen and C/Von Seggern were doing. After
spending two weeks in Cambodia, the 4th of July had a new meaning for us. Colonel France
explained the history behind America’s independence aided by a translator, but we could tell the
families did not fully understand why we celebrate such a historical moment. In two weeks we’d
begun to see what life would be like if we did not have the independence we celebrate each year.
Day 14-15: Kep 5-6 July 2014
Break from Work: We headed for Kampot, a nearby city, but then travelled on to Bokor Mountain.
A couple of temples, a massive statue, an abandoned casino, and a new resort were at the top which
we explored. On our second free day we rented a boat and driver for the day and went island
hopping. The first stop was a small fishing village on a smaller island and then we travelled to Rabbit
Island, which was an experience in itself. We got caught in a major downpour with waves that rocked
the boat and soaked us to the bone. The sun reappeared once we reached the island.
Day 16: Kep 7 July 2014
The group went to a new village to begin work on the new latrines. They decided to keep the two
teams the same to have a “rematch” of sorts to see which group could finish their latrine faster. It was
a cooler day as well as a longer work day, which facilitated more progress. The extra hours and the
materials right by the site along with everyone now having experience put both groups far ahead of
the first day of the last latrine project. This would prove to be critical because of impending weather.
Day 17-18: Kep 8-9 July 2014
We experienced flooding early in the morning. When we arrived at the village the tree-trunk bridge
leading to the worksite was submerged. The storm showed little indication of letting up, so the group
decided it would be a waste of materials if they tried to work. The next day the group faced another
day of bad weather and contractors made the call that they would not work. It was important to
respect the Cambodian contractors’ decision as they knew the working conditions and did not want to
waste their mortar in the torrential rain. The group kept a positive attitude and got to enjoy a little
free time. C/Stensberg and C/Vangen went mountain biking on a trail nearby. The evening concluded
with the usual dinner as a group.
Day 19: Kep 10 July 2014
The teams worked hard on this last day to get done the most possible work. Colonel France, C/Sanks,
and C/Von Seggern finished the stuccoing of the walls of the latrine which marked their second
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completed latrine. The other group was able to stucco the outside walls. Communication was tough,
but the villagers were able to express their gratitude for the help that we provided. It was a
bittersweet moment finishing the work because it felt good to complete the project, but we knew that
the trip was ending. Everybody found it to be a truly rewarding experience.
Day 20: Kep to Phnom Penh 11 July 2014
Outreach with the Community
The group traveled to a school that was set up by a
Korean NGO where we sang, danced, and played soccer
with the students. Everybody had a great time and worked
up a sweat. The children seemed thrilled to play with such
different visitors. It was a very special moment everyone.
Next, the team stopped by an artisan shop where they sold
scarves, bags, trinkets, necklaces, dolls and more, and
where we could see local business at work.
Day 21: Transit 12 July 2014
The flight back home consisted of a five hour trip from Phnom Penh to Seoul-Incheon and a 10 hour
layover. During that time we visited a temple, market, and palace. There was contrast between
Cambodia and Korea (far more developed). It was valuable to see an additional part of Asia. After
Korea, we flew to Seattle for the connecting flight to Denver.
Recommendation: Future cultural immersions should strongly consider partnering with Developing
World Connections (POC: Ashley Ekelund) and Equitable Cambodia. Immersions to these locations
would benefit from using Intrepid Travel, Mango Tours Cambodia, and our guides and leaders: Dan
Tc, Sotheavy Sov, Sokkheang Ly, Kheng Senh, and Savorn Toem. These organizations and people
made this such an amazing, memorable, and important experience for all of us.
Conclusion: We are grateful to the USAFA Class of 1981 and the Olmsted Foundation for their
generous funding that supported this trip. We also appreciate those who followed us via Col
France’s blog and sent encouragement. This report includes excerpts from Col France’s blog (which
can be found here). Photos courtesy of Marty France Photography (link to full album is here)
The following summaries from two participants illustrate the impact these weeks had on all of us:
Experiencing Cambodia firsthand was one of the, if not the, most life-changing experiences of my
life. It exposed me to ways of living that one simply cannot find in America. I am extremely grateful
to have been able to go on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The most memorable part of the
Cambodia trip was the poverty that I saw. The lack of sanitation and danger was astonishing and
nobody seemed to even notice. This will have an effect on me throughout the rest of my life because
if I ever find myself complaining about something I can remember how people around the world
have it much harder than I do. This will be especially useful as an officer in deployed settings
because I will have already been exposed to new cultures and living standards.
+++++++
Cambodia is an incredible country in every way that the word “incredible” could be defined. That
said, there are considerable challenges that the country faces – political, economic, and social – and
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the opportunity to gain the perspective of officials from the U.S. Embassy on these topics was
extremely enlightening.
Spending time with the Cambodian cadets and officers I saw that many of them are motivated by the
same motivations as we have, have similar fears and aspirations, and are trying their best at the
opportunities they are given every day just as we do. Knowing this, I will be able to work more
effectively with officers and NCOs of partnering nations in the future.
This has sincerely been a formative life experience and I am extremely appreciative for the
opportunity. I cannot give enough thanks to all who were involved to make the trip happen.
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