There is no greater honor than to educate our youth and to serve as our nation's representative in another country.  Working in the Pacific, alongside military service members as we continue to fight the War on Terror, is a privilege – and a highly desirable assignment in DoDEA as well.  Our team has much to be proud of in promoting good relations with our Japanese, South Korean, and Guam hosts.  We have numerous success stories throughout the Pacific that document the excellence of our schools’ community relations, to include supporting Host Nation Exchange Programs.  These activities and programs vary in scope and size ranging from Soroban clubs to Kimono dressing shows and Speech Potluck Festivals, to marching bands at Tokyo Disney Land to volleyball competition, to Pen–Pal programs and Special Olympics.

Every day our team works to build goodwill in all of our local communities through charitable endeavors in which our employees volunteer on a regular basis to support community service organizations ranging from Girl Scouts to Community Theater.  Our schools remain a vital part of our society and as educators we are held in high esteem by our military counterparts, the students we serve, and their parents.

Recently, it has been dramatically reaffirmed that our transgressions, as well as our good deeds, are what our hosts and the rest of the world use to judge us.  Occasionally the misconduct of a few individuals, a very small percentage of our overall work force, has a tremendous ripple effect on all who work for DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam.  Therefore, we must remain vigilant at all times to prevent any allegations of inappropriate behavior from being made.  We should pause and reflect on our profession as educators and role models as well as our commitment to educating those whose parents defend our liberties and freedoms.

We must fully recognize the importance of our work to educate thousands of students every day, preparing them to become better citizens of the world.  Our service is critical to friendly nations and peoples throughout the Pacific and we must uphold our individual responsibilities as professionals.  We must be mindful of our conduct and the conduct of our fellow teachers, administrators, family members, friends, and neighbors.

We have a responsibility, to help one another maintain focus and to uphold our professional standards.  Our actions both on and off the job can be the subject of intense scrutiny.  We must help each other exercise good judgment and hold each other accountable to ensure our words and action reflect the integrity of our profession as educators.

Living overseas is a wonderful experience and working in our schools, helping to serve our country, and support the relationships between Guam, Japan, South Korea, and the United States is an honor and a privilege.  I ask that we remain mindful of our actions and hold ourselves to the highest degree of professionalism possible. 

Nancy C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam