Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher McCullough | Staff Sgt. Staci Cagle (middle), one of the panelists for the 7th Infantry Division's...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – The 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team Sisters in Arms program held a partnered running clinic in conjunction with the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at the Evergreen Theater on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Sept. 26 to discuss women and running.
The Sisters in Arms program on JBLM was started back in October 2013 by the 7th Infantry Division to assist female soldiers in overcoming hurdles they might face with the repeal of the combat exclusion policy. It was expanded to include most of the major commands on post, such as 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who kicked off their program earlier this year in May.
"If nothing else, this gives a voice to young females who have questions about very specific female issues (in the Army) that men may not be able to answer," said Maj. Nicole Dean, the brigade aviation officer and lead coordinator for the Sisters in Arms program for 3-2 SBCT.
While the 7ID program has provided several panels on female-specific concerns with military life over the last year, it had yet to address the most hotly debated topics regarding female integration into traditional combat arms branches: Physical fitness and fitness standards.
With that in mind, Dean and others from within the division put together a panel of women from the 7th ID community to facilitate discussion of physical development of young professional women in the division.
"All of them are competent race individuals who have done significant distance races in their past," Dean said. "Most of them have completed at least a half or full marathon for time in the last six months."
The keynote speaker for the running clinic was Sabrina Seher, from Fleet Feet Seattle-Tacoma. Seher, a native of Gig Harbor, is a running coach and trainer with Fleet Feet Tacoma, who helps racers maximize their running time. She has completed over 54 full marathons and was last year’s Quadzilla (four consecutive days of marathons in Seattle over the Thanksgiving weekend) overall female winner.
"She's something of a legend amongst the local running scene and offers a unique perspective because she's a mother, a working woman, an ardent race performer," Dean said. "(Having her speak today helps) our female soldiers see that you can be a beautiful, intelligent, physically fit woman and still manage the same basic feminine qualities … so it is possible for young women to adapt to and pursue running as a hobby."
Running, she explains, was chosen as the key topic of discussion because very few women in the military enter the service as previous runners. Most female service members do not receive mentorship on running form, proper clothing and other female-specific considerations for distance running and training. This creates potential for injuries, limits running potential and prevents women from enjoying running as a hobby.
"Running is a very strong component of military physical fitness, but also on top of that, it provides us, the running community, with a sense of purpose," Dean said. "Sometimes we don't necessarily develop running skills in our junior soldiers which leads to a lack of passion to do it. It should be enjoyable; running should be an enjoyable experience even though it is part of the job description for our soldiers."
Dean, a native of Orchard Park, New York, further explains that running embodies the three aspects that would need to be addressed in order to ensure there is comprehensive acceptance of women into combat arms.
"Combat arms commanders need to be certain that the women that are coming into their formations are physically fit, emotionally and mentality resilient and lethal," she said.
Seher spoke to the exclusively female audience about her experiences in going from non-runner to competitive athlete, as well as the proper mindset to maintain when running long distances and other female-specific considerations for distance running and training. She also explained that the only limitations placed on them, as female runners, are those they place there themselves.
"I help them see that they can," Seher said. "I take that shadow of doubt – that proverbial wall in front of them – and help them get rid of it. Then they see they can do only what they allow themselves to do. (I tell them) you're the only one who puts limits on yourself."
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2014 15:18 |
| Story ID: | 143476 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Hometown: | GIG HARBOR, WA, US |
| Hometown: | ORCHARD PARK, NY, US |
| Hometown: | TACOMA, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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