My Life as an Advisor: Afghanistan
I sat stiff in my chair with my hands folded politely in my lap. As I looked around the room, it was adorned with brightly colored fake flowers overflowing from the vase that was placed at the side of the desk and another on the other side. The biggest picture of President Karzi that I had ever seen hung behind the desk with a pose that made you feel as if he were in the room overseeing the conversation. It was my third day in Afghanistan and I and the other mentors were meeting with the Chief of Police to discuss security. The senior mentor could not make the meeting this day so the Lieutenant Colonel was acting as the senior. The Chief of Police, a tall prominent man, had a demeanor that commanded authority and his presence had a way of making you feel as if you were in the principal’s office. He did not serve up Chai and discuss his family or participate in meaningless small talk which is so uncommon in Afghanistan, but instead rushed right into business. As he began to talk, everyone in the room leaned forward giving their full attention and the interpreters were sure to wait for the General to finish before speaking. As he began his next iteration of comments, he stopped mid sentence and looked at me. In English he asked me if I was here to take notes for the Senior Mentor. Maybe a little shocked at the question or partially embarrassed, I smiled. Then as quickly as I had smiled, I heard myself telling him that I wasn’t a secretary for the Colonel and then as my finger pressed against my temple, I proceeded to tell him that I didn’t need to take notes because it was all “up here.” Everyone in the room froze at my comments and then the General’s stern look transformed into a smile back at me. He then continued the meeting and at the end I received a hand shake and one of those famous Afghan hugs indicating that I was accepted. Since that day, I have joked many times by pulling out a note pad when the General begins to speak and telling him that I wouldn’t take notes for the Colonel but for him I would. It was an unintended ice breaker but resulted in a trusting relationship. When the Colonel left, the General told our command that he didn’t care if his replacement mentor was male or female, which is very different from the culture here. The choices that we make in an uncomfortable situation can change our situation completely. If we overreact, it says something about our ability under pressure and that we are led by our emotions. If we under react, it says that strength and courage are simply words in a dictionary and when it’s time to take a stand, we’ll stay seated. Trust me, not every day has been the right decision, but I think when it comes to the important ones, the key is the ability to manage your emotions while proving your strength. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “women are like teabags. We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water!”
Porcelain on Steel
This week we’d like to highlight a book which may be of special interest for Athena Dialoguers. Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line, is both by and about women of the Long Gray Line. Author Donna McAleer (at left), USMA 1987, wrote about several ordinary women who “took an oath to defend their country and became extraordinary stories of perseverence and integrity.” A description of the book reads, “For more than 200 years, West Point has produced soldiers and leaders who have served our nation in and out of uniform. Women have been part of the famous Long Gray Line of graduates for the last 30. As Army officers, athletes, wives, and mothers, as leaders in business, in non-profits and even the clergy, they’ve met challenges and overcome obstacles to lead others with strength and courage. Porcelain on Steel is an insider’s tour of one of America’s most storied institutions and what it takes to succeed in the high-pressure, high-performance, high-testosterone leadership lab that produces leaders for the Army and for the nation.” Porcelain on Steel will be available in May 2010 from Fortis Publishing. The Porcelain on Steel website also includes a additional snapshots and stories of women USMA grads today.
A visit by the President to Afghanistan
President Obama in Afghanistan, March 29, 2010 (Whitney Fees in bottom left corner)
Major Whitney Fees wrote in telling of a recent experience in Afghanistan, “Last week a few of us…were notified that the President would be arriving in a few hours and we were some of the lucky troops able to see and listen to him speak. Words really cannot express the excitement in the hanger. It was an amazing experience to say the least. I didn’t get close enough to shake the President’s hand, but you can see the backs of our heads in the picture(bottom left). I’ve now had the fortune to see and hear the 43rd and 44th Commanders in Chief during deployments.”
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Major Whitney Fees with friends, March 29, 2010
So You Are a 2d Lt; Now What?
Being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Armed Forces is a great accomplishment, and you should be proud. However, what is now expected of you? First and foremost, learn your primary job (AFSC, MOS, etc.) and be the absolute best that you can, professionally and technically. Immerse yourself in becoming the “expert.” You will not have all the answers and that is okay because as you become more familiar with your position, you will identify whom to go to for the answers. This leads me to a crucial piece of information. During your initial assessment of your new surroundings take note of the Senior Non-commissioned Officers (SNCO, E-7 and above) and seek out one or two that display knowledge, confidence, and humility. Start asking them questions, collect information from them and ask their advice. If they are any type of professional, they will be more than happy to share with you and help mold and guide you. In my opinion, this is your key to the kingdom; finding an SNCO, grabbing their coattails and hanging on for the ride. During this relationship building it is absolutely critical that you as the officer set the tone of the relationship and that it is nothing short of professional, all of the time. I cannot underscore this enough; professionalism is the backbone of our military and we rely on the fact our compatriots are working under the same auspices.
Equal rights and liberties are foundational principles of the United States and as a nation we do it very well. Many seek to come to the U.S. for these reasons. However, as a female officer in the military you may feel compelled to “prove” yourself to your male contemporaries. In my opinion, this is healthy competition and will better you overall. Being a female officer in a historically male-dominated society like that of the U.S. Armed Forces brings unique challenges. Throughout my 14 years of service, I am pleased to report that I have not experienced any type of harassment because of my gender. I attribute this to the professionalism of our military and to self-awareness, realizing one’s own capabilities and limitations. All I wish to emphasize here is exploit your talents and do not take advantage of your weaknesses. Do not give anyone a reason to label you as “just a female” and expect you not to participate in an event or project because it is typically reserved for men. It is biologically obvious that you are female; do not strengthen the stereotype, request to join in if it is something you want to do.
As mentioned earlier, I have had the opportunity to serve my nation for over 14 years, something I would not trade for anything. I am a Major in the United States Air Force. I am an Air Battle Manager, Mission Crew Commander and fly onboard the Boeing E-3 Sentry, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The adage of actions speaks louder than words are something I truly embrace. One’s character is that action. I trust this snippet of reflection is something that will prove useful or at least contemplative.
Congratulations on your commission. Good luck and serve your country proudly. We are all here serving beside you; do not hesitate to call on us.
The Economist: “It’s a great time to be a woman.”
This week The Economist is running an online debate on the status of women in the developed world. The magazine’s stance is “that women in the developed world have never had it so good,” and that women are better able today to realize their potential than they did in the past. Read the comments and sound off yourself here.
An open letter to female lieutenants
This letter, from Major Whitney Jensen, is the first of several we will post. These letters are for cadets and new lieutenants, intended to offer a bit of advice and share our stories. Whitney’s letter was also published in the Fort Leonard Wood Guidon last August.
My twin sister and I are the oldest of five children (four girls and one boy, the youngest). My mother, an extremely intelligent and independent woman, raised us all with the familiar mantra: ‘You can do anything you put your mind to.’ Growing up we all participated in a variety of sports, scouting and virtually lived outside during the summer. It is fair to say that I grew-up a tomboy. It came as no surprise to most that I enlisted in the Army Reserve after my first year of college, in 1996. My goal of enlistment was twofold: one, get money for college and two, my belief that I could do the one weekend a month, two weeks a year with no problems.
In basic training, I fell in love with the Army. I enjoyed the camaraderie, teamwork, challenge and feeling that I was a part of something greater than myself. Do not get me wrong, it did not happen the day I reported. In fact, the first month of basic was a shock to my system. I was yelled at, taught discipline, made to do push-ups and held to standards I have never experienced before. My parents were very liberal with discipline and by that, I mean we really had none. You know those kids you see running around public places without the regard of their parents; well that was us.
In contrast though, my parents imparted certain values. Among those is a work ethic steeped in volunteerism and commitment. I cannot count the number of hours I spent before the age of 14 working various summer festivals, rotary booths and conventions. Nor can I count the many hours washing and cleaning the family van as a part of ‘recovery operations’ from a family trip. These values have suited me well in the Army.
After basic and advanced individual training I decided to transfer colleges and enrolled in ROTC. I was commissioned in 1999 as a Military Policeman and, following the officer basic course, stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. My first duty station, needless to say, was intimidating for a newly commissioned lieutenant, and more importantly, a female lieutenant.
The most important advice that I would give any new lieutenant is to be visible to your Soldiers. E-mail and computers make it easy to be stuck in an office. Do not let this happen — go to the motor pool, conduct physical training with your Soldiers, qualify on your weapons, endure the rain and cold and suck. Your Soldiers will recognize your presence and admire your dedication.
Secondly, train your Soldiers. It is your responsibility to come up with the concept of training, get approval from your commander, ensure your noncommissioned officers are knowledgeable of tasks and validate these tasks with your platoon sergeant. You will be surprised at how well your commissioning source has trained you on the basics of tactics — whether you are a nurse, a signal officer or a military policeman. Train your Soldiers on basic Soldier skills so that they can get from point A to point B alive. Then use your daily mission to train them on doing their jobs. My mantra is there are no taskings; there are only missions to reach an objective or end state. If you treat your daily workload like this, you will be training your Soldiers to deploy while completing your garrison requirements. You can use mission tracking reports, operations orders and convoy briefs, for example, to accomplish this.
Third and most important in my opinion, is to build a great relationship with your platoon sergeant and trust your NCOs. You do this first by sitting down with them to introduce yourself, your strengths, weaknesses and your expectations of them as leaders. You may not be able to talk to specifics as a green lieutenant, but you know what right looks like. Your NCOs run the platoon, and you can learn a great deal from watching them. Ask questions, talk to the unit first sergeant to find out his opinion of your NCOs and make sure your platoon sergeant keeps you informed of the Soldier issues in your platoon. It doesn’t mean you have to act, but you need to know if someone is having marital or financial problems. Get to know your Soldiers, so that you can answer inquires from your commander if something gets elevated to that level.
Finally, I will impart my experience and advice more specifically as a female officer. I am a firm believer that if you are going to succeed as a female in the Army, you have to be able to deal with a certain amount of crass behavior and language. It is a male dominated environment, and men act and think differently than women — period. No amount of consideration of others or equal opportunity training will change that. What I have seen consideration of others training do, however, is provide awareness and basic understanding of all Soldiers regardless of race or sex or background.
You are walking into a serious profession with serious consequences, and an Army in combat for eight years. If you happen to be stationed around the warfighters of the Army (such as Fort Bragg, Campbell, Stewart, Hood or Drum) or deployed, expect a certain amount of vulgarity especially from your Soldiers. If, at any time this stuff offends you, then you need to speak up immediately. Those around you will first be thankful that you were forthright enough to confront them about it, and secondly, will truly make a concerted effort to stop the behavior around you. On the other hand, you may find yourself having to remind others that certain language or behaviors do not necessarily offend you, so they are not walking around on eggshells either. It is definitely a balancing act. I would advise any female Soldier not to try to be ‘one of the guys’, but at the same time to be understanding of male conduct. Let me be clear here and say, that it is never okay to feel insulted, violated or put in an uncomfortable circumstance. Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said it would never happen. You have to be aware that it happens, but equally aware and confident that there are systems in place that can and will rectify these seldom but serious incidents. Believe in the system, it does work.
The last bit of advice I’d like to share is that in my experience as a female officer, you will have to prove yourself in every new job and duty station; more so than your male peers. There will always be a perception that you are not going to be able to do the job as well. Not everyone may think this, but it is more prevalent than the Army would like to admit. However, I have found that once you do prove yourself, you are almost in a better position than your male counterparts are, and often thought of in higher regard. I do not know why that is, but I have experienced it repeatedly. Be aware of this challenge and do the best job you can.
In the end, your talents and dedication will be suitably recognized.
Thoughts on service, for young women
Good Morning. I am a veteran, and I am here to share with you my call to service, my thoughts on Veterans’ Day, and the experiences I’ve had that make me proud to be an American.
My story begins when I was about your age, working hard to get through high school, and wondering how I was going to pay for college. I applied for numerous scholarships, ROTC, and, when a family friend who was a veteran himself suggested Service Academies, I said “Why not?” I applied to the United States Military Academy, West Point. Now I was a bit of an artsy, non-conformist kid and when I asked my teachers to fill out the required forms they said WHAT? West Point? And I said yeah, they pay me to go to college, what a no-brainer. It was kind of exciting, too. The military was an unknown to me, and it would definitely be a challenge. I figured I could handle wearing uniforms every day, the physical training, the strict military environment, and then the five-year military service requirement upon graduation Actually, I think my biggest concern in being surrounded for four years by boring, short-haired, army guys. The dating scene was not looking very promising.
I wasn’t accepted into West Point at first. I sent in my registration to the local state university where my brother went. I even had my roommate assigned. Imagine my surprise in March of my senior year when I received an offer of admission USMA. I had 7 days to decide I had butterflies in my stomach all week. I finally decided that this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I was going to go for it. Anyway, I could always quit if I didn’t like it.
Thus, I began my military service. I was right; I could handle wearing uniforms every day, the physical training, the strict military environment. In fact, I made some wonderful friends, was excited by the challenges, and did very well. Here I got my first taste of service. I was in training but it was for a purpose greater than myself: defending our nation, which was a little scary but exciting at the same time. I was proud to be part of an institution established to defend our nation’s principles.
Something else I gained at the academy was the idea of personal responsibility. The first year at the academy is very strict, and when an upper class cadet speaks to you, you are allowed to give one of four responses: Yes, sir/ma’am, no sir, no excuse sir, and sir I do not understand. So, when you are late to breakfast formation because you forgot to set your alarm: no excuse, sir. When your shoes aren’t the shiniest because another cadet stepped on your foot in the rush down the stairs: no excuse, ma’am. When your room is not clean because you had an English paper due, you’re barely passing math, and your roommate is a slob: no excuse, sir. You are responsible for yourself, for your own performance. Blaming another person or circumstance does not affect the outcome. It is the choices YOU make that will lead to your own success or failure. Outside influences do exist, but if you are organized, plan your time effectively, and take responsibility for yourself, you can succeed at anything you do.
I made it through West Point, now it was time for my five years of service. No problem, I didn’t even have to look for a job or go to job interviews, the Army just gave me one. I was going to be a platoon leader for medics in Germany. Yes! The job was hard work but on weekends I went to Paris, or Vienna, I skied in the Alps, life was good. The year was 1999, and somebody name Slobodan Milosevic was the president of Serbia, in the former Yugoslavia. He was a bad guy. In the Serbian province of Kosovo, there were two ethnic groups: The Serbs and the Albanians. For some reason, Milosevic didn’t like the ethnic Albanians who made up the majority in the province, and began a campaign of ethnic cleansing. 1000s of people were killed and millions driven from their homes. The US recognized this injustice and began air strikes against Serbia. The next thing I knew, Milosevic was removed from power and the First Infantry Division, which I was a part of, was ordered in to Kosovo to conduct peace keeping operations.
By the time we arrived, NATO had established peace, and it was not a combat environment. The Army’s mission was to maintain peace, which included providing humanitarian assistance. As a medical platoon leader, I traveled around our sector setting up one-day humanitarian medical clinics for the local people.
Why am I telling you this? Because after witnessing the situation in Kosovo, never in my life had I been so appreciative the FREEDOM, JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND OPPORTUNITY we have in this nation. The young ethnic Albanians I met told me stories of how over the last decade, the government had created separate schools for them as second class citizens, not allowing them to be educated alongside the Serbian students. In recent years, many of these schools had been closed, forcing the ethnic Albanian students to meet secretly in homes to continue their education. Does that sound familiar? Nazi Germany? I spoke to other people who still held burning hatred in their hearts for the opposite ethnicity in the very next town, citing wrongs they had committed 300 years ago. If you think our economy is bad, there was probably 50% unemployment there. The wealthy community members had brothers or cousins or children who worked in Germany or France and sent money to them. Their medical care was so inferior to ours that the American doctors who treated the local patients said they had only seen some of the conditions the local people had in textbooks. After examining one elderly patient in extreme pain, our doctor advised him to go immediately to the hospital. This patient said he would rather die a slow painful death than see a doctor of the opposite ethnicity.
I know America is not perfect. But every once in a while we need to reflect on the things we take for granted and realize how fortunate we are. I’m guessing for a lot of you, high school might not be your favorite thing. But to be told you are not entitled to an education because of your last name, or the language you speak in your home? The big national debate right now is on providing health insurance to all Americans. Forget about insurance, and lets appreciate the fact that in every medium-sized town in this nation there is hospital that exists with medical personal capable of providing medical care when needed. And that people aren’t afraid of the medical care they receive based on the race of the doctor. Of course we have prejudice in this country, United States history definitely does not have a clean slate in that regard. But the deep-rooted racial hatred in Kosovo really blew me away. I thought about the freedoms we have: to live in safe neighborhoods, to be able to trust our police and live under a stable government. We may not like what we read in the newspapers every day, but at least the government isn’t censoring what we write.
On this day, Veteran’s Day, I tell you these freedoms we have are not free. Let us not forget the men and women who have served this nation, some of them making the ultimate sacrifice, to establish and maintain our freedom. Let us remember our brothers and sisters right now in Iraq and Afghanistan, risking their lives to keep us safe from the threat of terrorism. There are thousands of soldiers serving right now in harms’ way, willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect yours. Why do they do this? Don’t they know what they are getting into? Yeah, some of them probably signed up to get the free college education, but it’s more than that. It’s the desire to serve.
What is service? The dictionary says it is an act of assistance or help. I say it’s the ability to look outside yourself and your own needs, and dedicate your time and efforts to a higher cause . Once you’ve tried it, it is kind of addictive. Give it a try. You don’t have to be a rich politician, a college graduate, or anything in particular. Start small. Step out of your comfort zone. Lend a hand to someone you don’t normally speak to. Offer to help next time when you would rather go home. You’ll see, it feels good.
I’ve told you a lot about myself in this speech. Now I ask you, who are you? What or who do you serve? Is it yourself? Your job? Your friends? Are you willing to offer acts of assistance or help when you see the need?
Also, do you take responsibility for yourself? When you fail, who do you blame? Is it someone else’s fault? Or it’s because of the weather? The only thing in this life that you can truly control is yourself. When you blame others, you are admitting your own lack of control, and you give up your power to change. General Colin Powell once said: There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.
Some of you may already feel a call to serve in our armed forces. Go for it! You will be surprised how much you will gain from it. If you don’t think you’re the type, give it a second thought. I bet if you saw me walking down the street, “veteran” wouldn’t be the first word that comes to your mind.
We cannot all serve in the Armed Forces, and that is fine, but spend this day thinking about what will you serve in your life? Hopefully the American ideals of justice, freedom and equality will find a place in your thoughts. Those are big ideas. How will they fit into your life? I thank the many veterans here today for their service to justice, freedom, and equality. How will you serve those ideals that make our country the great and unique place that it is? Your futures are ahead of you. How will you leave this world a better place than it was before you were born?
This speech was shared with us by Therese Francomb, who gave the speech to a group of high school students this past Veteran’s Day. Thank you Therese!
How You Behave….Matters
When talking with other women in the military, everyone always has some advice to give and most of it is great advice. The only problem is that it is a lot of advice, so we are going to begin posting different tidbits of advice weekly (or at least we’ll try). Therefore, this week before the eggnog of Christmas and champagne of News Years leaves anyone with any regrets….my advice is…always be careful of how you present yourself when you are in public.
Many new 2LTs are still in the “party” mode when they arrive at their first unit and do not realize that they have automatically become a role model for the Soldiers that they serve. This is different between men and women in the simple fact that it is alright for a male platoon leader to have a drink with his platoon but a very different scenario for a female platoon leader. As women, we are judged by the way we dress (no miniskirts and mile long cleavage (don’t laugh…I see it all the time)), the way we talk (I don’t even think that it is OK for female truckers to use the F-word on a daily basis) and by the way that we interact with men (baby talk and flirty touches should be reserved for the ones you love). It is definitely a double standard, but I think that it would be hard for me to respect the authority of a girl that I just saw dancing on top of the bar singing “Low Places” in her best drunken voice after just finishing body shots from all of her friends, even if they were off duty. Once they see you as “that kind of girl”, it is nearly impossible to regain their respect.
Moreover, when you think that you have found that safe “no Soldiers” sanctuary…think again. There are so many of them that you may not know if there are Soldiers in your place of choice but you can bet that on Monday morning….not only will everyone know where you were last weekend, but with who and what you were wearing and even bits of your conversation….they pay attention. You can still go out, have fun, and have a personal life but as a woman, but the way you carry yourself matters.
There is no secret to success in the Army…except maybe run and run well… but there are always good pointers. We all come from such different backgrounds and upbringing, and you will experience situations that you could have never comprehended as possible. Nevertheless, you will experience enlightenment, growth, and an unimaginable patriotism if you allow yourself to know these Soldiers and leaders and listen to their stories. Trust your instincts and treat yourself with the respect and dignity that you want others to treat you with. I have been in the Army for seventeen years, and I have changed so much from that insecure, frail little girl who was so overcome with insecurity. The Army has given me so much….an education, an incredible husband, confidence through success, lifelong friendships and a better understanding of myself through my experiences. Good luck on your journey… and may you grow and give positive support to the women of our Corp.
From Ask Us: How do I join the military?
We recently received a question from a reader about joining the Army. On Veteran’s Day, it seems appropriate that we answer that question. Thanks, Tatiana, for your question!
Dear Ladies! I am 28, have a toddler daughter, my spouse is a military. I began thinking of joining the military myself long ago. How does the whole process go? I assume having my MA degree I could become an officer after some training? Before turning to recruiters, it would be nice to find out some information about what I do first, how long and what kind of training they have for to-be-officers, what else is important to know before joining the military. I appreciate your help! Tatiana R.
We’ve been corresponding with Tatiana to find out more to better answer her question. Because her question actually covers several topics, I’m asking the other Athena Dialogue contributors, and any other readers out there, to post answers. I’ll start by covering how one can become an officer.
There are four ways a person can become an officer in the U.S. Army. The Army has a website, with a great video and an interactive tool, to help you determine which of the four ways is best for you. Check it out here. The four ways are:
- Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
- Direct Commission
- Officer Candidate School (OCS)
- West Point
ROTC is the path for students at hundreds of college campuses across the country. Direct commissions are for certain professionals–doctors, lawyers, and chaplains–who have expertise in an area needed by the Army. OCS is a path for those who have completed a college degree as well as for currently-serving Soldiers who are on their way to earning a degree. West Point, the United States Military Academy (USMA), is the nation’s oldest service academy and was listed by Forbes magazine in 2009 as America’s best college.
The Athena Dialogue contributors come from each of the four commissioning sources. One contributor served as an enlisted Soldier and non-commissioned officer before attending OCS. Another is a chaplain. We have ROTC graduates, West Point graduates, and yes, even a graduate of West Point’s rival, the United States Naval Academy. (Beat Navy!) In the days ahead, we will post thoughts on our respective paths to becoming officers.
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