Women at Sea Empowers Ike’s Female Sailors

ATLANTIC OCEAN

07.10.2019

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley Estrella 

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)   

Since 1994, women have been able to serve on combatant ships. When the Navy issued orders for women to report, the first ship to receive them was USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Women at Sea (WAS), is a group aboard Ike who assures the female population can come together and support one another.
Personnel Specialist 1st Class Brittany Herb is one of the many women leaders representing WAS as a platform for women serving on Ike to share ideas, concerns and address them up and down the chain of command.
Herb said as soon as she heard about WAS she immediately wanted to be involved. Her desire to help other women in stressful environments was one of the reasons she chose to go from full-time support as a Reservist to active duty. She said it was necessary to reach out to more women.
“I have the leadership skills to encourage women,” said Herb, “I feel it is what I am meant to do. I wanted to get involved in WAS because I love mentoring junior female Sailors. It is my purpose.”
Herb said it was a different time when she joined the Navy 14 years ago.
“I remember it was very cutthroat,” said Herb. “I did not feel comfortable talking to my female senior chief at that time because I knew the mindset was to be rough and tough. We couldn’t have honest conversations about our challenges. We had to prove women were just as tough as men. I knew that I wanted to be a different type of leader and set a different standard.”
Herb said she feels women have definitely come a long way since she joined, and women have incrementally cultivated an environment in the Navy that is more open, approachable and supportive of each other.
“Some people may not agree with our focus exclusively on the needs of women,” said Herb. “For me it is a matter of helping the women who do not know what to expect when adapting to life out to sea. I’m proud to be a facilitator of an organization that teaches through women who have already been there.”
Another WAS facilitator, Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class Shanequia Hollis, has deployed on several aircraft carriers. Hollis said together she and Herb plan to uplift and teach Ike’s female Sailors about the challenges of shipboard life during deployments.
“Ike is unique,” said Hollis, “I’ve deployed on the USS George Washington (CVN 73) and the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The support was implemented more on a departmental-level on those ships. Ike is the first command where there is a support network that extends ship-wide and was given an honorary name.”
Women who join the Navy come from different backgrounds. WAS’ mission is to ensure a platform exists to keep a diverse group of women working together.
“In all my years serving, I’ve learned that no one is the same,” said Herb. “We are all different and bring unique qualities. Although we celebrate our differences, WAS ensures there is a platform to keep everyone on the same page.”
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Brooke Turcohambly said she appreciates WAS.
“Having an organization to talk about the unique experiences of women is important,” said Turcohambly. “I feel like my opinions are valued and understood.”
Hollis said it is important for seasoned female Sailors to embrace the influx of junior Sailors who are joining at younger ages than prior generations.
“Junior female Sailors should take advantage of the experience of the women who have been in the Navy for a while,” said Hollis. “I’ve had a lot of experiences good and bad, but I feel good about using them to help others. I feel like we have a voice that is heard by the entire ship. So, if needed we can actually make a difference.”
Hollis said despite the collective progress, there is always a new challenge to overcome. WAS will continue its mission to support female Sailors on Ike while the ship continues to take to the seas.

• Date Taken: 07.10.2019
• Date Posted: 07.14.2019 18:07
• Story ID: 331296
• Location: ATLANTIC OCEAN