One of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam's very own, Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Meranda Keller, paved the way for women in combat photography roles in the U.S. Navy.
Keller accompanied a SEAL team unit on their 2012 deployment to Afghanistan as the first U.S. Navy woman combat photographer, and again on a 2014 deployment with a different unit. She specialized in trauma photographer, training with the team in close quarters combat (CQC), and completing Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) school for the six month prior to reporting to Afghanistan.
Keller, a dynamically charged Sailor with a passion for high energy jobs, attempted to interview for the role of combat photographer a few years prior to her 2012 deployment. She was initially turned away from the position due to her gender, but in 2012 she received a call asking her to take on the job. She accepted, making her the first woman to deploy with Navy SEALs in the combat camera media cell.
Although she was not able to participate in a target mission, in which combat photographers take photos of the aftermath of a firefight, Keller excelled at trauma photography. She accompanied every key leader engagement with her team, and continually proved herself in the face of doubt and lack of precedence.
"I was seen as 'one of the guys.' The job requires mental toughness," Keller said, echoing Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson's commentary last month in which he told Sailors to get tough.
In addition to her proficiency as a photographer, Keller proved valuable to a team that was previously unable to interact with women due to cultural restrictions.
"When we would enter a women's hospital with a team of women doctors, I was the tactical trained person, because the guys couldn't enter," Keller said. "I knew how to report, knew the layout of the building."
The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan decreased the need for combat photographers, but Keller's performance paved the way for a few more women who followed in her footsteps.
Keller's photographs highlighted humanitarian efforts and combat operations within Afghanistan during their 2012 deployment. Her photos are published online at www.dvidshub.net.
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2017 14:44 |
| Story ID: | 227248 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JPBHH Sailor Paves Way for Women Combat Photographers, by ENS Britney Duesler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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