Female leadership sees positive responses from their Marines in 2nd Tank Battalion

Photo By Sgt. Austin Long | Captain Heather Ichord, logistics officer for 2nd Tank Battalion, talks with Master Sgt. Ramon Sanchez, a logistics chief with 2nd Tank battalion, about tank routes that could be used in upcoming training exercises for the battalion field operations. “I don’t see a difference. My peers see me as a Marine officer and my Marines see me as a Captain of Marines who knows her job and does it well,” said Ichord. “What I’ve noticed so far is that I’m not judged based on my gender, but on my proficiency at my job and my leadership skills and approach when handling the Marines and mission accomplishment.”  

JACKSONVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES

11.20.2012

Story by Lance Cpl. Austin Long 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - Remember seeing the skit for the ‘Annie’ commercials, “I can do anything you can do better,” “No you can’t”? In today’s society this humorous argument holds truth. The gender of a person doesn’t decide their proficiency.

In an all male combat unit, quite a few eyebrows were raised in a hesitant fashion whenever female Marines came walking down the hallways to report for duty. Although all of them are in support roles they still are in direct contact with the men, but they don’t allow that to interfere with being proficient or in the way they lead their Marines.

Gunnery Sgt. Bernadette Shepard, administrative chief with 2nd Tank Battalion, came to the unit because they needed a new admin chief while their previous one was on deployment. Shepard said that her gender does not prohibit her from doing her duties. She is a Marine first and is treated like a Marine not any differently because she is a female.

“The only difference that I notice,” said Shepard, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich. “Is whenever I’m approaching the door with another Marine who is male, regardless of their rank, they will open the door for me. I don’t feel like this is special treatment, because it isn’t. The Marine Corps teaches its male Marines to be gentlemen. And that is what the Marine Corps fundamentals are built on, being a professional gentleman at all times.”

Two other female Marines have similar feelings about their positions with the battalion. Captain Heather Ichord, logistics officer for 2nd Tank Battalion, and 2nd Lieutenant Katherine Lindbom, communications platoon commander with 2nd Tank Battalion, both share similar views about interacting with the battalion as Shepard.

“I don’t see a difference. My peers see me as a Marine officer and my Marines see me as a Captain of Marines who knows her job and does it well,” said Ichord, a native of Vienna, Va. “What I’ve noticed so far is that I’m not judged based on my gender, but on my proficiency at my job and my leadership skills and approach when handling the Marines and mission accomplishment.”

Being a female platoon commander with an all male platoon holds its challenges, but for one lieutenant that doesn’t stop her from having one successful mission accomplishment after another.

“I’ve taken the Marines to the field several times,” said Lindbom, “and every time the Marines haven’t questioned my orders and they’ve gotten the job done. I’m filling the billet while the other platoon commander is deployed to Afghanistan, but the Marines seem to not have a problem with it or seem to treat me any different.”

Lindbom, a York, Maine native, said the Marines actually speak to her about problems going on in their lives. It says something about you and your leadership skills when your Marines trust you enough to ask for advice on personal issues.

Maj. Melville “MJ” Walters, the battalion executive officer for 2nd Tank Battalion, said, “The female Marines that we have are good. They are solid leaders, they know their jobs, they know what they’re doing, they’re intelligent, they’re in good physical condition and I think that’s what the Marines respond to. Good leadership so the Marines are responding to that.”

Leaders of Marines rather enlisted or commissioned are not judged based on their gender. They are judged according to their proficiency. When you look at the entire battalion there have not been any problems. The Marines respond positively and function well in the office and in the field. It is still the Marine Corps, a leader is based on their ability to lead and their job proficiency, not by what color they are, where they’re from, or their gender.

• Date Taken: 11.20.2012
• Date Posted: 11.20.2012 14:24
• Story ID: 98165
• Location: JACKSONVILLE, NC, US
• Hometown: GRAND RAPIDS, MI, US
• Hometown: JONESBORO, AR, US
• Hometown: VIENNA, VA, US
• Hometown: YORK BEACH, ME, US