West Virginia resident is first to enlist for combat-arms support jobs newly opened to women

“One 21-year-old recruit is about to crack the glass engine block. The Army has announced Cicely Verstein, of West Virginia,  is the first woman to enlist into one of the six Army combat-arms support jobs opened to women in May. She starts basic training in November to become a 91M, Bradley Fighting Vehicle System Maintainer. [...]

It’s your life, do with it what you want.

It seems like a long time ago when I joined the Army. I was naïve, didn’t have any ideas about what I could do and wow, the army wanted me. Man, did I feel important. No one back then told me how smart I was, or how I could make it in college and this [...]

USO honors Gen. Ann Dunwoody as Woman of the Year

“Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, was honored by the USO during a May 1 luncheon in New York City. Dunwoody shared the honors with Marillyn Hewson, executive vice president, Electronic Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation. At the beginning of the presentation, Dunwoody spoke with Ann Curry, co-anchor of NBC’s “TODAY” show about [...]

Women in Combat: Army to open 14K jobs, 6 MOSs

“The Army will start placing women in as many as 14,000 combat-related jobs by opening up six military occupational specialties and placing women in 37 battalions across nine brigade combat teams. On May 14, the Army will begin implementing the new Defense Department policy. The new DoD policy opens up an additional 3 percent of [...]

Marine Corps to Open Officer Infantry School to Women

“The Marine Corps will soon allow women to attend its school for infantry officers, as part of a larger effort to determine how to expand the role of women in the Corps. Gen. Joseph Dunford, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Marine Corps Times on Wednesday that the service is in the process [...]

Letter to a Friend Whose Husband Is Deployed

Dear Oldest Friend, It’s been a few months since your husband left again for Afghanistan. The last time he was gone, something bad happened, but it was the kind of bad that could have been worse. He was lucky to have escaped with minor injuries, and you were fortunate to not receive that visit. In [...]

Air Force Appoints First Female Four-Star General

The Senate confirmed March 26, 2012, the nominations of two Air Force Materiel Command senior leaders. Air Force officials announced the confirmation of Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger to the rank of general with assignment to the position of AFMC commander, making her the Air Force’s first female four-star general. Officials also announced the Senate [...]

DOD Opens More Jobs & Assignments to Military Women

“Military women, particularly soldiers, will see more than 14,000 new job or assignment opportunities because of policy changes the Defense Department announced today. The changes are included in a report the department submitted to Congress today, based in part on findings the Military Leadership Diversity Commission reported in March. Today’s report includes a “vision statement”: [...]

Just Listen

Saturday, January 16th, I attended a memorial service for my friend, Captain Mariah Kochavi. I hesitate to use the term “friend”, because I am not sure I knew her well enough to claim that title. However, I think Mariah is probably comfortable with it, and considering that she gave me something of considerable value, no [...]

Female Seabees Team Makes History in Afghanistan

In the rocky mountains of Helmand province the group from Port Hueneme becomes the first all-female team in Seabees history to take on and complete a construction project. “It was an unusual job even for the Seabees, the U.S. Navy’s construction forces trained to hold a hammer in one hand and a Beretta M9 in [...]

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