Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carmen Fleischmann | Army Sgt. Carla Baron performs before Troopers and Naval Station Guantanamo personnel...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - March is Women’s History Month, a time when historic female figures are honored and their accomplishments of paving the way for women’s equality are celebrated. What better way to truly show our appreciation than by continuing their just and noble cause.
It is with this mission in mind that a sailor with Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Ian Beard, created the Women’s Equality and Integration Movement or WE AIM.
Tying in closely with Women’s History Month, Beard and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Megan Bacon decided to host a women’s equality night focused on integration, Saturday, March 22. The evening featured a “real talk” with a panel of leaders from around the JTF.
“Women’s equality is the main purpose of this event,” said Beard. “I believe integration is important because even if they might achieve equality, if we don’t integrate them into society and have them work side-by-side with their male counterparts, then there’s no point.”
The first step in preparation for this event was to poll Service members around GTMO about what issues they have faced and what questions would they like answered by their leadership regarding women’s equality.
“There are more women serving in leadership positions than ever before,” said Bacon, the host for the evening. “Who better to ask about these issues than leaders here? Brig. Gen. Garcia is the first female brigadier general here and is a part of history. What a great opportunity!”
Air Force Master Sgt. Murray Taylor, the JTF equal opportunity officer was the first speaker and explained how he has had several women in his life to look up to: including his mother, and his wife of 26 years and an aunt who went from Army service to being a back-up singer for James Brown and now manages the Apollo Theatre in New York.
“There are people out there that still believe women should not receive equal compensation,” said Taylor. “It’s hard to tell why people like that don’t think women can achieve the same as men.”
Like Taylor, Marine Sgt. Maj. Juan M. Hidalgo also had strong female influences in his life, and although he did not always have women under his command during his extensive career in the Marine Corps, he learned that they are just the same as any Warriors in his care.
“Don’t treat them any differently. Treat them all the same,” said Hidalgo. “That’s what we need to do. Young troopers will always impress you.”
Hidalgo went on to say that he disagreed with the term “empower,” because it implies that females need assistance and are lacking something. “We have some bright, outstanding Warriors,” he said. “They don’t need anything from us. There’s nothing they cannot do.”
The final member of the discussion panel was Army Brig. Gen. Marion Garcia, JTF GTMO’s current and first female deputy commander making her a monumental figure in women’s history. She responded to a question about what challenges women in the military face.
“They are meeting timelines, staying in shape, going to school and balancing a life,” said Garcia. “They have the same challenges as anyone else.”
As a part-time soldier herself, she also had some tips for maintaining this balance as a member of the reserves or National Guard.
“Take care of yourself first,” said Garcia. “Then your family. They are in it for the long haul. Concentrate on your civilian job, because that’s your main paycheck and then worry about the Army.”
Following the interviews, the floor was open to service members for questions. When asked why some members of society are hesitant to accept females as equals in the work place, there was no clear answer, only hope that this mindset can be changed.
“These individuals might not be onboard perhaps because they didn’t have the same strong figures we had grown up with,” said Garcia. “It is our job to help them get there.”
Hidalgo continued, “If they don’t understand it, they can get over it. Women are doing great things for our military.”
The night concluded with food and live music by Iguana Glue, a local band comprised of JTF troopers from across multiple branches of service.
One of the singers decided to get involved because she too has a stake in the progression of females in military service.
“In the small amount of time I’ve been in, I can see an improvement in women’s equality,” said Army Sgt. Iannetta Pratt, a soldier with the 339th Military Police Company and performer at the evening’s event. “We still have a long way to go, but the progress has been made, and we will continue to take steps in the right direction.”
In the future, WE AIM hopes to host many other events and projects that continues to fight for women’s integration and equality.
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2014 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 123025 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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