Flying Officer Kim Sim Lee hasn’t looked back since swapping his international tech career in Malaysia for a life in Australia.
Migrating with his family to Australia in 2015, Flying Officer Lee jumped at the opportunity to embark on a new career in the military and is now a logistics officer at RAAF Base Williams.
Flying Officer Lee believes diverse thinking steers the course of many of the projects he works on.
“Diversity helps us think and act with more perspective, shape our approaches to resolve issues and deliver better outcomes,” he said.
“Working with colleagues from different backgrounds and cultures allows us to discover our shared interests, beliefs and different approaches or experiences to solve a problem, as well as sharing stories along the way.”
A key part of Flying Officer Lee’s role is liaising with business and defence stakeholders on future technological improvements, something that allows him to draw on experience form his previous career.
“Our team has military and non-military personnel with more than 40 years of military or commercial experience and knowledge, working alongside others with less experience, all gathering around the same table to work on the same goal or project,” Flying Officer Lee said.
“As an immigrant from Malaysia growing up in a multicultural environment, diversity is where every voice can be heard, every experience can be learnt and every problem can be solved openly and creatively.”
Flying Officer Lee reflects that cultural diversity was a driving force behind his family’s decision to migrate to Australia.
“Australia has a mature society that encourages and accepts diversity,” he said.
Along with his logistics role, Flying Officer Lee also enjoys the social opportunities afforded at RAAF Base Williams, which regularly hosts international visitors.
“I regularly meet foreign force personnel at the mess or the sporting complex on our base and speak with them in their language,” he said.
“I particularly enjoy sharing the unique story about RAAF Base Point Cook being the birthplace of the Air Force.”
To learn more about cultural and linguistic diversity in the Air Force, contact Air Force’s diversity and inclusion team: persbr-afdobc.diversityinclusion@defence.gov.au
