LANDSTUHL, Germany  –   From single parenting to body shaming, various perspectives on the female experience in the military were introduced to a virtual audience as Kaiserslautern Military Community Service Members held a joint discussion forum kicking off Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s Female Mentoring and Morale Program, last month.
Although approximately 18 percent of the U.S. Army, including the Army Reserves and National Guard, is comprised of female Soldiers, they are still underrepresented in many aspects of military operations, decisions and overall culture. Programs like the FMMP aim to change that.
“(When we first started FMMP) we wanted to establish mentorship, personal and professional development, and fellowship to female commissioned, noncommissioned and warrant officers, with a focus on strengthening the military female population through coaching, mentoring, and networking sessions and engagements,” said U.S. Army Capt. Lamanda Jackson, commander, A Company, Troop Command, LRMC.
The forum welcomed various leaders around the military community to discuss their experiences while serving. These included:
U.S. Army Col. Jana Nohrenberg, chief nursing officer, LRMC
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Contreras, command sergeant major, Troop Command, LRMC
U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Ana Springstube, battalion sergeant major, 838^th Transportation Battalion, 598^th Transportation Brigade, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cheri Wright, noncommissioned officer in charge, Deputy Commander for Quality & Safety, LRMC
U.S. Army Sgt. 1^st Class Dorothy Walker, Army Reserve and National Guard liaison, LRMC
U.S. Army 2^nd Lt. Stephanie Birge, medical / surgical nurse, LRMC
The diverse panel shared their military experiences and discussed how their gender, and gender-specific circumstances, impacted their career paths, decisions and families.
“There is a need for a Female Mentorship Program enterprise-wide because a portion of our force faces a ‘hidden’ set of challenges in addition to the challenges that we all face in uniform,” said U.S. Army 1^st Sgt. Michael Woolley, first sergeant, C Company, Troop Command, LRMC. “(The forum) has generated some candid conversations for myself with some of my peers and leaders.”
While military leadership skills provide many leaders the tools necessary to upkeep the health and welfare of their Soldiers, Woolley states it may be more difficult for male leaders to consider female Soldiers’ perspectives without testimonials like those shared at the discussion.
“We are all in the same fight together against common enemies. We should not allow gender, or polygenes for that matter, to separate us and risk devolving into any divisive framework when what we need is cohesion,” said Jackson. “Open dialog can and will ultimately allow us to be stronger together through shared understanding.”
Over the past decade, strives toward gender equality in the Army include the opening of infantry, armor and fire support military occupational specialties to female Soldiers, including the Army’s elite Ranger School course. Additionally, gender integration is being assessed across all U.S. military services, with the most recent milestone being the U.S. Marine Corps’ integrated boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, the first integrated training of male and female recruits in the West Coast-based boot camp’s nearly 100-year history.
“I personally think (FMMP) stewards the military profession by building mutual trust,” explains U.S. Army 1^st Sgt. Maria Ferotti, first sergeant, B Company, Troop Command, LRMC. “By listening to different stories and perspectives we are able to grow as individuals and Service Members and learn ways to better communicate with each other. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is usually uncomfortable but through discomfort comes growth.”
While the forum focuses on female Service Member mentorship and growth, Jackson explains it remains open to all to share different perspectives and encourage understanding across the ranks.
“The Army is on the precipice of change and this is the perfect opportunity to use these forums to bring awareness to those changes,” said Ferotti.
“We can and should learn to communicate plainly and openly, regardless of the subject matter or topic, particularly those that can be uncomfortable,” said Jackson. “This is a skill that needs to be developed as a teaching/learning tool. We need to continue to seek a balance that allows us to build trust, inclusion and mentorship while we focus outwardly on the enemies of our nation at hand and not on our biological or gender-centric differences.”