‘Our Country Isn’t Perfect, Yet We Can Strive to Make It Better’

After 28 years of service, my Chinese-American grandfather retired from the U.S. Air Force. He encouraged my father to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, which ultimately inspired me to apply as well. Today, I am a third-generation service member and the first woman in my family to serve in the U.S. military.

At The Fletcher School, I’m working on my doctorate as part of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Captains’ PhD Program. My anticipated focus: Examining past U.S.-China crises to discern from their resolutions any lessons that we can apply to future conflicts.

I am a proud American who is honored to serve. I stand on a foundation created by those who’ve come before me and sacrificed greatly to afford the freedoms we have today. Through my family history and military service, I am proud to contribute to such a tradition of honor, but we still have a long way to go. Our country isn’t perfect, yet we can strive to make it better. Having been afforded this opportunity, I can’t afford to waste it.

My aim is to deepen my knowledge of U.S.-China relations so I can meaningfully contribute to strategic decision-making down the road. I also want to continue developing as a leader, in the classroom and in a military capacity. I am committed to understanding those around me, while remaining true to my experiences and my identity. And as an intelligence officer, I’m dedicated to making sure that we’re making better decisions with the information we have, and to continually move the needle in the right direction.

Captain Joey Ching, U.S. Air Force, is a second-year PhD student at The Fletcher School.

The views here expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

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