Army Educator Dr. Pamela Raymer - KMI Media Group
Army Educator Dr. Pamela Raymer - KMI Media Group
Army Educator Dr. Pamela Raymer - KMI Media Group
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<strong>Army</strong> Women's FoundAtion<br />
8 | MAE 7.4<br />
Honoring <strong>Army</strong> Women<br />
The <strong>Army</strong> Women’s symposium exAmined The chAnging missions And roles of<br />
<strong>Army</strong> Women TrAnsiTioning To civiliAn life.<br />
By mAurA mccArThy, mAe ediTor<br />
More than 200 attendees gathered on Capitol Hill on<br />
March 7, 2012, to honor <strong>Army</strong> women at the U.S. <strong>Army</strong><br />
Women’s Symposium and Hall of Fame Luncheon. The<br />
theme of this year’s symposium, “Changing Missions,<br />
Changing Roles,” fostered dialogue among federal legislators,<br />
government agencies, academia, business and<br />
nonprofits and highlighted the successes as well as the<br />
collaborations and partnerships needed to facilitate the<br />
transition of <strong>Army</strong> women out of the military. As Major<br />
General Janet Cobb, assistant deputy chief of staff, G-4<br />
(Operations), noted in her keynote address, “All wars end.<br />
During the last 10 years of persistent combat, women<br />
have had their war come to an end. Women on active duty<br />
rotate to new units—or they leave the military. National<br />
Guard and <strong>Army</strong> Reserve women have their war come to<br />
an end as well—their DD 214 says so. They quickly demobilize.<br />
They all pack their duffle bags and black footlockers<br />
and return—where? And to what circumstance of life?”<br />
All women who served in Vietnam were inducted<br />
into the Hall of Fame this year. Between 1959 and 1975<br />
approximately 7,500 women served in Vietnam; 6,200<br />
were nurses, all were volunteers. Reflecting on the role of<br />
women in the <strong>Army</strong>, Major General Cobb said, “Women<br />
in the <strong>Army</strong> or in the military is a subject we really don’t<br />
talk about much, but it is evident. Retired general officers<br />
and senior field grade officers sit among you here. I walk<br />
the Pentagon halls—now a major general and former<br />
specialist four—passing an African-American woman<br />
wearing an Air Force flight suit, leather flight jacket and<br />
senior pilot wings; a female Marine aviator and female<br />
gunny; an Asian female Navy Lieutenant wearing gold<br />
dolphins; female soldiers wearing jump wings, combat<br />
action badges, air assault badges, pilot wings, purple<br />
hearts, and on the sleeve of their <strong>Army</strong> service uniforms<br />
a stack of overseas service bars.” Women who served<br />
during World War II, Korea and Vietnam blazed the trail<br />
that today’s servicewoman can follow, taking on roles<br />
that many view as a normal part of their job but that<br />
decades ago were unthinkable. Cobb noted that as of the<br />
end of January 2012, the number of <strong>Army</strong> women who<br />
had deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters—with<br />
many women deploying multiple times and to both<br />
theaters—totaled 138,703, including National Guard and<br />
Reservists.<br />
Following the Hall of Fame induction, the foundation<br />
presented seven Legacy scholarships, which provide<br />
financial support for the pursuit of an undergraduate<br />
degree. The scholarships, awarded to <strong>Army</strong> women and<br />
their dependents, are based on merit, academic potential<br />
community service and need. This year’s scholarships<br />
were awarded to Sabrina Higdon, Joy Cassagnol, Chief<br />
Warrant Officer 3 (Ret.) Nancy Christiano, Specialist Maia<br />
Dihan, Amber Gibson, Specialist (Ret.) Latoya Lucas and<br />
Yamese Wyrick. O<br />
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