One would think that when the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of their staffs took their seats in the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on June 4, 2013, they would come armed with statements promising change and detailing actions being implemented. But, instead of being like Lieutenant General David Morrison, Chief of Staff, […]
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Claire McCaskill (MO) have become the faces and voices of outrage and action over the crisis of sexual assault in the military. The reason why two civilian female senators who never wore a uniform have done so is because, as members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, they had to. […]
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, upon the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s unanimous recommendation, last week signed the repeal of the combat exclusion policy of 1994, opening more than 200,000 military jobs to women. This was a military decision endorsed by politicians about military readiness, strategic decision-making, and national security. More than a year ago, the Army […]
This is the 23nd installment in the Honored Role Series.” Two disciplines thousands of years old; the profession of arms, fighting for and defending your nation, and yoga, an ancient practice whose purpose is enlightenment and union through physical, mental and spiritual movement and discipline. Both require strength and practice. Army Captain Kelly Peyton Howard, […]
This week I witnessed something I hope my own daughter will see one day—a sea of women in military uniform. More than 1,300 U.S. servicewomen, and a few servicemen, gathered in San Diego, CA this week for the 24th Annual Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium. The two-day event centered on leadership and professional development. Focusing on […]
The US Army & Marine Corps continue to circumvent the ground combat exclusion policy. U.S. women are fighting on all fronts of the war on terrorism and are regularly engaged in combat operations, yet there are still barriers to their work and promotion. The policy is anachronistic and does not reflect the reality on the […]
The United States has been engaged in combat in Afghanistan longer than in any previous war. As a Nation at war for more than nine years, women are serving in new roles and in larger numbers than previous battles. More than 220,000 women have been deployed, nearly 12 percent of the force. Similar to their […]
This is the 22nd installment in the Honored Role Series. Fed up with the constant media attention and hyper-promotion of tissue-thin fashion models and beauty queens with little between the ears, Valencia de la Vega entered the Ms. Latina Beauty Pageant in October 2009. This former Army Captain and combat veteran turned Intel engineer decided […]