2nd CAB female mentorship program

Photo By Pfc. Chung Il Kim | Female Soldiers from 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade perform dance during Zumba class on Jan. 8 at the Super Gym on Camp Humphreys. Female Soldiers gathered for 2 CAB's female mentorship program to help mentor eachother.  

PYEONGTAEK, 41, SOUTH KOREA

01.08.2015

Story by Pfc. Chung Il Kim 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Fast bebop jazz and Latin samba music flows in the air. With the elevated tempo, over a hundred female Soldiers heat up the basketball court at super gym. Instead of the regular morning exercise, female Soldiers work out following simple steps and moves from a professional dancer in the front. On Jan 8, 2015, the first 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade female mentorship program of the year kicked off with exciting Zumba.

Sgt. Maria Cardenas, a water treatment specialist assigned to Alpha Company, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, took a sip of water from the fountain after the first round of Zumba. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she said, “female mentorship is helpful for females, the help respect each other, and encourage others. This program helps us learn how to approach female problems in the army.”

Mentorship allows one to find out that they are not alone in their type of challenge. Successful mentorship requires a collaborative effort between the mentor and mentee to identify common goal and potential solutions to problem they face. The 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division hosted a very successful female mentorship seminar.

The program provides an opportunity for female service members to unite and discuss topics related to experiences and challenges facing females serving in today’s military. The objective of the female mentorship program is to foster a friendly and supportive relationship between mentors and female Soldiers.

Master Sgt. Jacquelyne Hill, 2nd CAB's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, organized the first female mentorship program in 2015.This session focused on the idea of women empowering women. She divided the session into two. The first session will involve personal responsibility with respect to women issue in the army; the second half, skit and an effective method of communication to deal with the possible obstacles in the army as a woman. The program also advises efforts to eliminate sexual assault and sexual harassment, reach out one’s potential, and deal with the work-related issues that Soldiers encounter on a daily basis.

“Female mentorship is a great opportunity for female Soldiers to get together and build a bond,” said CW2 Cynthia Bingaman from Bravo Company 602nd Aviation Support Brigade. She also said, “This program is helpful to build a sense of feeling that female battle buddies are always there for one another in the army.”

"This training is very helpful because it allows females to ask questions to senior leaders regardless of their rank," said PV2 Artiqua Dukes from Charlie Company 602nd ASB. She went on to say “most females around me are young and new to the army so having a chance to talk with the senior leader is a great experience.”
Female Mentorship Program in the 2nd CAB will continue to provide an opportunity for female Soldiers to meet regularly to express concerns, ask questions, and speak openly with one another about challenges in the army.

• Date Taken: 01.08.2015
• Date Posted: 01.09.2015 22:16
• Story ID: 151657
• Location: PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR