Women in Combat – Page 3 – Donna McAleer

Honored Role (part 16): Col. (ret.) Crissy Gayagas – In Balance

Published on April 26, 2010

This is the 16th installment in the Honored Role Series.

More than a word of welcome or parting, “Aloha”, in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. Often described as the coordination of mind and heart, it also means the extension of warmth in caring with no obligation in return. This would also be a fair description of the islands soul manifested by those from Hawaii. This exceptional attitude is the working philosophy that Christine “Crissy” Gayagas brought east from her island home to West Point, and around the world.

Honored Role series (part 13): Capt. Raven Bukowski – Planting the Seeds of Service

Published on February 26, 2010

This is the 13th installment in the Honored Role Series.

Although Raven Bukowski’s late grandfather, Donald, never spoke about his experiences as a sergeant in the 3rd Infantry Division during World War II, his quiet patriotism and strength planted in her the seed to become a soldier. Raven knew only that her grandfather fought in Salerno, Italy and returned home with a Purple Heart.

Honored Role Series (part 11): Lt. Col. Jen G. Buckner- In the Long Run

Published on January 29, 2010

This is the 11th installment in the weekly Honored Role Series.

One of the few constants in the Army is the importance of physical fitness: strength, power, and stamina. William Nash, a military historian, wrote “success and general efficiency of every military establishment is, in a very large degree, dependent upon the physical fitness, endurance, and condition of the individual units of which it is composed.”

Lt. Col. Jen Grzbek Buckner realized this early in her career. “Being able to run long and fast earns credibility and respect. It opens doors.” She explained. While technology has changed the larger picture of war, physical prowess remains a vital element of each solider’s effectiveness. Improvements in combat gear, weaponry, and communication systems support a soldier’s ability to fight nearly around the clock. Sustained periods on patrol or in a firefight require soldiers to be alert, energetic and enduring.

Honored Role Series (Part 8): Col. Terry Walters, MD – Navigating Uncharted Waters

Published on January 8, 2010

This is the eight installment in the weekly Honored Role Series.

Before turning 10, Terry Tepper took the helm of the family’s 40-foot wooden yacht and steered into Barbados harbor, “My father handed me the tiller and said, ‘take her in’. He folded his arms, sat down on the bow and smiled. I backed the sails and steered her in. It was the greatest gift a child could receive — responsibility, confidence, and the first taste of empowerment.”

Four decades later, successfully at the helm of the U.S. Army’s largest medical facility, Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Colonel Terry Tepper Walters, M.D., reflects upon several horizons she navigated.

Honored Role Series (Part 7): 1st. Lt. Aubrey McCary – Shades of Gray

Published on December 18, 2009

This is the seventh installment in the weekly Honored Role Series.

Her packing list includes body armor, a Kevlar helmet, a M-16 rifle, 3 pairs of desert tan boots, and 4 sets of camouflage uniforms; wrapping up the list are a set of pink, plaid flannel pajamas, a “Pride & Prejudice” DVD, Hello Kitty office supplies, and a stock of Aveda Salon hair and beauty products. 1st Liet. Aubrey McCary is not packing for a holiday vacation; this list is what she needs and wants as she deploys to Iraq Sunday, December 20, 2009.

“Full Participation for our sisters-in-arms”

Published on December 14, 2009

The Washington Post
Saturday, December 12, 2009
By Donna McAleer and Erin Solaro

By this time next year, U.S. troops will have been in Afghanistan longer than the Soviets were. The United States has been engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq longer than in any previous war. Not factoring in the increase in soldiers going to Afghanistan that President Obama announced last week, some 220,000 American women have engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Honored Role Series (Part 6): Maj. Mindy Kimball – Shooting for Stars

Published on December 11, 2009

This is the sixth installment in the weekly Honored Role Series.

Pondering science, space, and astronomy inspires US Army Major Mindy Kimball, because she has long dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Many astronauts begin their space quests in the military, which is where Mindy hopes her quest is beginning as well.

Mindy grew up in a military family, attending Vanden High School at Travis Air Force Base in California. As the daughter of a retired Air Force officer and granddaughter of a retired Army Air Corps officer, Mindy understood and embraced the military and its associated discipline. Serving in the Armed Forces were initial steps in her trajectory into space travel and exploration.

Honored Role Series (Part 3): Maj. Stephanie Ahern – Soldier, Scholar, and Mother

Published on November 13, 2009

This is the third installment in the weekly Honored Role Series.

Before kindergarten Stephanie Ahern drafted her life plan; graduate high school, attend a good college, earn a masters degree and then a doctorate, like her father a metallurgical engineer, work for a year or two and than get married. That is as far as she got. Today Ahern, 36, a major is the US Army, accomplished precisely what she set out to do.

Tag: Women in Combat