Describing her career progression as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, Rear Adm. Cari Thomas addressed women's growing roles in military service during a Dec. 10 speech at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.  Thomas spoke to 28 senior international security practitioners attending APCSS' Transnational Security Cooperation Course.  She discussed the modern expansion of military leadership opportunities formerly closed to women.   Thomas herself is commander of the Hawaii-based Fourteenth Coast Guard District.  She oversees unit operations in waters surrounding Hawaii, Saipan, American Samoa, Guam, Singapore and Japan; an area three times that of the continental United States.  The admiral's visit illustrates APCSS' commitment to foster an inclusive security sector through engagement and executive education. 

These efforts support the U.S. government's National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.  The WPS plan seeks to empower women globally as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace.