Courtesy Photo | The 402nd Field Artillery Brigade Commander Col. Carolyn Birchfield, shares a personal...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. Patricia Deal, 402nd Field Artillery Brigade, Division West Public Affairs
FORT BLISS, Texas—Female soldiers from the 402nd Field Artillery Brigade who met in the unit’s day room Jan. ,6 were not sure what to expect at the unit’s first “Sisters-in-Arms” meeting.
One sergeant first class said she thought it was more Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, or SHARP training, as their annual training the Friday before.
The Sisters-in-Arms program is something newly adopted by the army. The purpose is to educate, train, mentor and empower servicewomen to become future leaders. Sgt. 1st Class Sherri Silas is the brigade’s designated “Sisters-in-Arms” program facilitator and explained the basis of the program.
“My goal for our first session was to introduce the program to them, and encourage them to share some of their experiences,” said Silas. “The whole idea is to encourage communication between senior female officers and noncommissioned officers to junior female officers and soldiers.”
Silas considers this a great opportunity for everyone to learn from and help each other. “It’s just a matter of building trust and getting everyone involved,” she said.
The idea for the program came from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, as they developed a forum for female soldiers to help enhance avenues of mentorship and empowerment to help reach their full potential. Over the years women in the military have faced many adversities such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination.
While some women have been able to overcome challenges and rise through the ranks, others may not have been able to and would benefit from the mentorship of other successful female leaders.
The program has spread rapidly and is hitting army-wide. Units across Fort Bliss are holding their initial meetings.
After going over the program’s only Powerpoint slide, Silas explained to the group that this program wasn’t supposed to be the typical “death by Powerpoint training.”
“It’s a chance for us to talk openly; nothing is off limits, no names will be taken,” she said, opening the floor for discussion.
When she was met with silence, she shared a personal story. After that, individual after individual began sharing their stories. They talked about different things from services on Fort Bliss to past experiences in the military, and life in general.
While her presence might have made the group a bit hesitant at first, the brigade commander, Col. Carolyn Birchfield, amiably joined in the discussion, sharing her experiences, while the tension lifted and more people started sharing.
Birchfield told the group she believes the program is important because it gives them a rare opportunity to share both professional and personal experiences with one another.
“I have used this program in other formations that I've been a part of and it's been an incredibly powerful forum to further build our bonds with each other and serve as mentors for our younger soldiers,” Birchfield said. “Part of our charter as leaders is obviously to serve as role models and if you looked around the room, all of us come from different backgrounds, but all have unique qualities that can benefit the group as a whole.”
Female soldiers of the 402nd are definitely diversified -- not only are they different ranks from specialist to colonel, but they are also Reservists, and active guard and reserve (AGR) Soldiers in addition to active-duty.
For their first-ever meeting, Silas said she thought it went well.
“Everyone was a bit nervous at first, but now I think they know what to expect for next time,” Silas said. “Some came up to me and offered suggestions for the next meeting already. It really comes down to the idea that you only get out of training what you put into it, and I’m excited about how this program will evolve for us.”
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2013 13:35 |
| Story ID: | 102009 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 402nd FA female soldiers unite for first ‘Sisters-in-Arms’ meet, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT