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 be part of a "wonderful country".
A logistics officer in Joint Logistics Command 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," Flying Officer Lee 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."
'Diversity helps us think and act with more perspective, shape our approaches to resolve issues and deliver better outcomes.'
A key highlight of Flying Officer Lee's role is liaising with business partners and Defence stakeholders on future technological improvements, drawing on his previous commercial and international experience.
"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.
"One of the reasons we migrated to Australia was for its multicultural environment. Australia has a mature society that encourages and accepts diversity," Flying Officer Lee said.
"Australia is a beautiful country made up of hundreds of cultural backgrounds, all coming together to share common interests."
Flying Officer Lee also enjoys the social opportunities afforded at RAAF Base Williams, which regularly hosts international visitors through Defence's International Training Centre.
"I regularly meet foreign force personnel at the mess or the sporting complex on our base and speak with them in their language," Flying Officer Lee said.
"I particularly enjoy sharing the unique story about RAAF Base Point Cook being the birthplace of Air Force."
