U. S. Navy Captain Myles Esmele, Jr. wants to be the next president of the Federal Asian American Pacific Council (FAPAC). He is running as “a change agent for an expanded and all-inclusive FAPAC role for the men and women who serve in public and military service.”

Currently, he is the Chief Financial Officer of FAPAC Southwest. He was the original founder of FAPAC Southwest and served as its first CEO from 2006 to 2008.

“FAPAC is a great organization, but leadership has always come from Washington, D.C.,” he said in a telephone interview. “And it has never had a military leader sworn into the role of the most senior position.”

Asked how he can be an effective leader if elected since he’s based 3,000 miles away in San Diego, California, Captain Esmele replied, “I have a local office in Crystal City, Virginia, and I come here once or twice a month. I will commute here as often as needed for FAPAC and military business. I will be an accessible and hands-on president with the use of electronic technology.”

Last month’s issue had an article about FAPAC Senior Vice President Kin Wong, who is running for president in this month’s election. Vi Baluyut, a former FAPAC president herself, wrote that there is another candidate for president. This is in the interest of fairness and equal time.

Ms. Baluyut said she nominated Esmele to the FAPAC committee as early as June 21. “I am his chief campaigner. Former FAPAC President Linda Tuazon Miller is also his ardent supporter, as well as many other members of FAPAC from civilian agencies and the military.”

She added: “For years, people didn’t know that FAPAC represents the civilian and military Asian Pacific American employees of the federal government and the District of Columbia. For the past 25 years, all the presidents and officers have been civilians, including myself. Captain Esmele is eminently qualified to run for FAPAC president.”

Captain Esmele said he is “passionate about diversity in the Uniformed Services, government agencies and in all walks of life.” Currently, he is the Chief Engineer and the Assistant Program Manager-Engineering for PMW-240, the U.S. Navy’s Sea Warrior Program. He is also the Diversity Captain for the Navy’s Engineering Duty Community, as well as the Diversity Officer for the Space and Naval Warfare Command, headquartered in San Diego.

Recently, he was in New Orleans to receive an award for diversity and inclusion from the Federally Employed Women (FEW), an acronym which does not fit the group’s description. “There were 2,500 women who attended, and I was really impressed,” he remarked, comparing it to FAPAC membership, “which is about 300.”

Platform

Citing his 34 years in the military, Captain Esmele said he would “apply military discipline, leadership skills, and results-driven management experience to FAPAC.”

His platform follows: 1) Increase National-Chapter participation, integration and membership; 2) Increase visibility in government agencies and organizations; 3) Actively partner with traditional and non-traditional agencies and organizations, such as AAGEN and APAIC; 4) Sponsor innovative initiatives so that government agencies and organizations, including the Department of Defense, reflect the nation it serves in the highest levels of leadership with qualified Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in senior executive and flag positions through a range of methods, training, management and leadership programs, such as the FAPAC Immersion Leader Program;

5) Actively work with civil rights agencies in addressing discrimination complaints of federal APAs; 6) Represent FAPAC in national and regional forums where employment, civil rights and diversity issues are addressed; 7) Transparency of all FAPAC internal functions with no hidden agendas; 8) Establish formal mentoring policy and program, and 9) Establish a policy of Inclusion of all interested stakeholders.

Background

Captain Esmele is the son of U.S. Army Staff Sgt Myles Esmele Sr., a Philippine Scout and Bataan Death March survivor, and Lily Shoji Esmele, a Japanese and American prisoner during World War II. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield, the Kosovo conflict, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), the Navy Commendation Award (5 awards), the Navy Achievement Medal (2 awards), and the Navy Good Conduct Medal and various service and campaign awards.

Esmele enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1976 in Subic Bay Naval Station, Philippines. He passed the Nuclear Power Qualification exam and entered the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program as an Electrician’s Mate.

After a tour as an instructor at Nuclear Prototype in Idaho Falls, Idaho, he was assigned to the Ballistic Missile submarine, the USS Von Steuben (SSBN 632). After completing his Baccalaureate of Science in Liberal Science, he was commissioned an Ensign at Officer Candidate School in 1982 into the Surface Warfare Line Community.

From 1982-1986, he served onboard the USS Sterett (CG 31), the first warship to be home-ported in the Philippines, as the Electrical Officer, Boilers Officer, Main Propulsion Assistant and Training Officer.

After his ship tour, he was assigned as the Combatant Type desk officer at Commander Task Force 73/75, Command Naval Surface Warfare Group Western Pacific in Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines.

In 1988, he became the Engineer Officer onboard the USS Oldendorf (DD 972), home-ported in Naval Facilities, Yokosuka, Japan and followed on another sea tour as the N4 Material Officer for Commander Destroyer Squadron 15. Under his guidance, all his ships never failed a material inspection that included nine highly successful OPPEs (Operation Propulsion Plant Examinations).

In 1992, Esmele transferred into the Engineering Duty Community and served as the Production Officer at Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity (SIMA) in San Diego. In 1997, he completed a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. He came back to San Diego as a Project Manager at Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair.

A couple years later, he returned as the Repair Officer at SIMA San Diego and was tasked to a critical overseas billet as the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of Ship repair Unit Bahrain just weeks before the tragic terrorist attacks on 9/11. Captain Esmele took the most demanding job in the Southwest waterfront in SUPSHIP San Diego as the Repair Officer, and then fleeted up to the Deputy Commander and Executive Officer. In the newly-merged maintenance community, he became the 1st Waterfront Operations Officer at Southwest Regional Maintenance Center.

Captain Esmele completed a second master’s degree, this time in Quality Systems Management, National Graduate School in Falmouth, Massachusetts in 2005. After Esmele’s promotion to captain in October 2005, Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez handpicked him to be his Chief of Staff at the Office of the Chief Engineer at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in Old Town San Diego. Captain Esmele is currently working on a Doctorate in Leadership from Capella University.