Army Educator Dr. Pamela Raymer - KMI Media Group

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