Stennis celebrates Women’s Equality Month

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Susan Lewis | 150829-N-ZU663-010 PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 29, 2015) - Capt. Mike Wettlaufer, USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) commanding officer, participates in a trivia contest during a Women's Equality Month Celebration in the forecastle. Sailors from the John C. Stennis Strike Group are underway following the successful completion of Composite Training Unit Exercise and Joint Task Force Exercise (COMPTUEX/JTFEX). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Susan C. Damman)  

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, PACIFIC OCEAN

08.29.2015

Courtesy Story

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Susan Damman

PACIFIC OCEAN — Sailors assigned to USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) observed Women’s Equality Month with a celebration in the forecastle, Aug. 29.

Stennis’ Multicultural Heritage Committee organized the event, which highlighted the accomplishments of women throughout history who struggled for equality.

“This is a celebration of how far we’ve come from the stigmas of what a woman should be, where she belongs, and what she should know,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Laketta Hampton, from Houston, one of the guest speakers.

Attendees said they learned a lot of interesting facts about remarkable women.

“I feel like it was an important event for all women and even men to see what women have done, how they effected change, went through adversity,” said Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Arrington Jenkins, from Arlington, Texas and a Multicultural Heritage Committee member. “A
lot of people don’t realize the stuff [women] have done.”

The climax of the ceremony was a Battle of the Sexes-style game show, with trivia about women’s achievements. Capt. Mike Wettlaufer, Stennis’ commanding officer, assisted on the bonus question, answering correctly that Adm. Michelle Howard is the vice chief of Naval Operations.

Wettlaufer also gave the concluding remarks, telling the story of Army and Navy nurses who served in combat zones in the Philippines during World War II.

Women in the military often don’t wish to be recognized for what they perceive as just doing their jobs, said Wettlaufer, but they serve as important role models to the next generation, showing what it is possible to achieve.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis visit www.stennis.navy.mil or
www.facebook.com/stennis74.

• Date Taken: 08.29.2015
• Date Posted: 08.31.2015 19:13
• Story ID: 174814
• Location: USS JOHN C. STENNIS, PACIFIC OCEAN
• Hometown: ARLINGTON, TX, US
• Hometown: HOUSTON, TX, US