MWI Program brings together Royal Thai Armed Forces and WA National Guard service members

The MWI Program at the University of Washington Tacoma's Milgard School of Business brought together Royal Thai Armed Forces and Washington National Guard service members to build relationships and strengthen leadership skills at en event held at Camp Murray in September.

The event, part of the State Partnership Program, aimed to empower women in leadership, offering mentorship and networking opportunities. Col. Carrie Wentzel led discussions on strategies for overcoming workplace bias and building leadership skills with a panel that included Rachel Vaughn, MSW, the Director of the Center for Leadership & Social Responsibility. MWI facilitated leadership style discussions, and participants toured various military sites. The engagement aimed to strengthen relationships and support future opportunities for women in the RTAF, fostering mutual inspiration and collaboration.

This engagement facilitated new and developing friendships to grow between women in both organizations and fostered a mutual inspiration across them.

“Women bring a unique perspective and leadership style to the military as well as a distinct way of solving problems,” she said. “This foundation will allow us to develop initiatives and strategies to remove barriers and empower females in our respective militaries.” - RTAF Squadron Leader Karnchanok "Maestro" Chunyaruck