The Superintendent of the Chilean naval academy provides an overview of their campus. The first class of women will arrive in February of 2007. Photo courtesy of Midn. 1⁄C Sophia Fischer.

The Chilean naval academy posed those questions to naval leaders from the United States, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and other branches of the Chilean armed forces during a conference held this fall in Chile.

The Chilean naval academy is in the process of integrating woman into their program. The first class of women is scheduled to arrive in February of 2007. To ensure a seamless transition and to understand the issues associated with it, the Chilean navy’s chief of naval personnel hosted a conference, ''Integrating Women into the Naval Academy,'' at the Chilean naval academy, attended by the Chilean navy’s senior leadership.

I joined Navy Capt. Allison Webster-Giddings, Cmdr. Tim Disher and Marine Capt. Andrea Stover as the only U.S. Naval Academy midshipman attending the conference. With such qualified and accomplished companions, I wondered what I could contribute.

We flew from Annapolis to Santiago, Chile. It was immediately evident how important this event was to not only the Chilean naval academy, but to Chile as a country.

On the first day of the conference, we attended briefings and presentations by each of the attending countries. Webster-Giddings gave a presentation on behalf of U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt. Following her presentation, the superintendents from Argentina, Ecuador and Peru gave PowerPoint presentations, highlighting the important issues.

Working groups addressed the many facets of incorporating women into existing programs. Each group discussed, argued, agreed (or disagreed) and expressed opinions. It was truly amazing to watch each individual contribute with a sincere desire to achieve a consensus. The Chilean leadership welcomed all information and input. They wanted a realistic look into what we did at the U.S. Naval Academy, how it worked or did not work, and what changes we would make if we had the opportunity to start over.

In addition to the meetings, we attended many formal dinners. I feel that most of the progress and exchange of information occurred during these social hours. The Chileans were able to approach the visitors and ask questions in a more relaxed environment where conference attendees could express opinions and experiences.

The highlight of the trip for me came on the final morning. At the conclusion of the working groups the one-star Chilean director of naval training organized the closing session. He asked me to stand and offer any final insights.

I stressed the importance of preparing the current ''cadets'' for the arrival of the females. A big adjustment is just around the corner and with that comes feelings of uncertainty and doubt. These feelings are natural but the ''cadetes'' need an avenue to express these emotions and ask questions.

I encouraged the leadership to try to make the integration as effortless as possible. The Chilean naval academy is already a successful institution. There is no need to make dramatic changes to the system to accommodate women. New procedural changes might only make things more difficult on the incoming females as well as the current ''cadetes.'' The focus should be on integration and inclusion into the existing system, not creation of a new one to accommodate the new ''cadetes.''

The Chilean naval academy is embarking on the momentous process of integrating women. They, of course, will face challenges and even make mistakes, but the time and effort they put into understanding the process and the issues that come with it beforehand will guarantee their success.