Courtesy Photo | First Lt. Elizabeth Lewis, 1st Lt. Tara Middlebrooks, 2nd Lt. Lisa Miller, Capt....... read more read more
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Many leaders in today’s army have graduated from the United States Military Academy. It is not uncommon then, during a time of war, for classmates to run into each other while down range. There was an uncommon occurrence, however, this past month when the 130th Engineer Brigade arrived in Afghanistan to assume responsibility of the Theater Engineer Brigade (TEB) from the 555th Eng. Bde.
Six female officers assigned to these two units all played lacrosse together on the same team while cadets at West Point. To add to the uniqueness, all six women were also team captains during their respective senior years.
Four of the women belonged to the 555th Eng. Bde. In the headquarters, Capt. Rachel Neasham, class of 2009, is the deputy intelligence officer, 1st Lt. Tara Middlebrooks, class of 2011, is an executive officer in the 577th Eng. Company, 864th Eng. Bn., 1st Lt. Elizabeth Lewis, class of 2011, is the public affairs officer for the 864th Eng. Bn., and 2nd Lt. Lauren French, class of 2012, is the assistant construction officer for the 4th Eng. Bn. The other two women arrived with the 130th Eng. Bde. and both work in the headquarters. First Lt. Laura Beth Beebe, class of 2010, is the public affairs officer, and 2nd Lt. Lisa Miller, class of 2012, is the strength manager.
“Linking up with teammates from West Point in Afghanistan was incredible--realizing all of us also served as team captains, was absolutely extraordinary,” said Miller, the youngest of the teammates. “These women, who exemplified remarkable leadership, athleticism, and military tact at school, are the same women still performing to the highest standards here in Afghanistan. The Army is often described as ‘small’ and ‘like a family,’ today I realized how true those statements are.”
Middlebrooks spoke about the ability to re-unite with old teammates by fondly laughing about the inside jokes from the academy they told, the morale booster from women going through similar experiences and as she explained, “hands down, one of the best times from the nine months was seeing those girls.”
She went on to explain some experiences she had while in Afghanistan with some of her former teammates. “I was in the same battalion as my former co-captain, Elizabeth, and although we weren’t always in the same place, we were able to catch a helicopter ride every once in a while. Having your best friend and the same music on your iPod is surprisingly useful sometimes.
“My last few hours in Afghanistan were with one of my closest friends and mentor, LB ‘l-bizzle,’ Beebe. A bittersweet experience as I was leaving and she had recently arrived in theater, we have shared similar experiences and gone through a lot since we first met in 2007, and you realize these girls, they are more than classmates, teammates, or friends, they are family.”
“Whether running into former lady laxers over here or getting care packages from girls back in the states, you always feel the love from the team,” said French. “Lady laxers are doing great things both deployed and in the states. It is awesome to be part of that legacy.”
A seventh West Point women’s lacrosse player, Capt. Dora Irvine, class of 2007 and a team captain her senior year is also currently stationed with the 101st Airborne Division at Bagram Air Field. And Col. Diana Holland, class of 1990 and a women’s lacrosse team captain her senior year, is currently serving as the Theater Engineer Brigade Commander. The same unit Neasham, Beebe, Lewis, Middlebrooks, Miller and French are deployed with.
The women’s lacrosse team has always prided themselves with being in better shape than any team they faced on the field. In 2008, when most of these women were cadets, the team placed 14th among all teams in the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates Division I league.
“The women’s lacrosse team has always produced great athletes and that drive to succeed physically is something that will make women who graduate from the team successful,” said French. “The Army that we are in today demands it’s women to be as strong physically as they are smart, adaptable, hard working, and tactically proficient.”
The U.S. Military Academy’s mission is to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of duty, honor, country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army. They achieve this through many avenues, giving cadets the opportunity to learn, make mistakes, and excel in a variety of leadership roles. Being a team captain is one way to gain this experience, while at the same time, maintaining all other cadet aspects including academics and their Corps leadership position.
“Being a lacrosse team captain was the best ‘leadership laboratory’ opportunity for me at the academy,” Miller remarked. “It gave me the opportunity to practice leadership and learn firsthand what worked, or didn’t, to motivate the girls to excel on and off the field.”
Miller continued, “I learned the magnitude of how my attitude and approach toward practices, school, and workouts effected the entire team; just as my attitude and perspective here affects my soldiers.”
“Although everyone had their own experience at West Point, we could count on each other while there to help us through what we encountered,” said Middlebrooks. “As you got older, you felt more and more protective of the younger teammates, an increased responsibility. While increasing responsibility in the cadet chain of command and taking care of increasing amounts of underclassmen, nothing compared to helping the team improve and taking care of the girls on a personal level. Looking back, I think it set me up for success with ensuring soldiers within my platoon were taken care of.”
“Lady lax really confirmed what it’s like to be on a team every day,” explained Lewis. “To be able to work with each other productively without getting frustrated or quitting is one of the most important things I found applicable, especially while deployed. You work with people 24/7 and have to know how to apply their strengths to make up for other’s weaknesses.”
Five of the six women commissioned into the engineer branch after graduation, all except Miller, who commissioned into the adjutant general corps. Miller was assigned, however, to the 130th Eng. Bde., home station of Schofield Barracks, where she became their strength manager.
With engineers being a branch that has recently opened up the combat positions to women, some of these officers were able to give some insight on how being physically prepared for such challenges has proven extremely helpful. “Being part of a combat engineer battalion and preparing to take a route clearance platoon has shown me how much fitness impacts your reputation as a female,” French explained.
She credited the lacrosse team with helping her get in that mindset prior to showing up to her unit, “The drive that the women on the team had to succeed physically was infectious in the best way,” said French. “Fitness was always a high priority on the team. It wasn’t until I arrived to the 4th Eng. Bn. that I truly realized how much ODIA hill sprints and 400 meter repeat sprints around Daly Field were going to gain me credibility before I ever briefed my first OPORD or ran my first range.”
Lewis echoed some of her comments by saying, “I didn’t come out of the West Point and Lady Lax experience with 100 percent knowledge on how to lead someone, but I felt that I wasn’t starting from the bottom. It taught me that when it comes down to it, the people who are there for you at your lowest points and stick with you are the ones you trust and will stay with.”
“I spent at least two hours each day for four years with the women on the team,” said Middlebrooks. “As a plebe, I learned so much about the school, the army, and life from the upperclassmen on the team. The girls I saw in Afghanistan were the girls I looked up to throughout my time at the academy. Through the challenges we faced on our team, we gained a greater appreciation for the work ethic and leadership of the girls before us.”
French sends advice to cadets who are currently on the team saying, “If I can give you girls on the team now any advice, it would be to push yourselves. Continue to encourage the girls around you to dig deep. The caliber of female officers produced by this team is inspiring and something everyone should be extremely proud to be a part of.”
“While I was completing a project on Bagram, away from the direct support of my company and battalion, Rachel was in the theater engineer intelligence team and when I needed help with engineering, intelligence for convoys, help with imagery, or just having a hard time, she would put anything down to help me,” Middlebrooks recalled. “Just goes to show that no matter where in the world you are, there will most likely be a lady laxer willing to help you through anything.”
| Date Taken: | 10.30.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.01.2014 08:44 |
| Story ID: | 118721 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Hometown: | WEST POINT, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 2,249 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, West Point Lacrosse teammates reunite in Afghanistan, by CPT Laura Beebe, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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