"Shooting Stars" of the 22d Intelligence Squadron

MD, UNITED STATES

03.26.2021

Courtesy Story

70th ISR Wing

The first quarter of the year is dedicated to celebrating our differences, with February being Black History Month and rolling into March with Women’s History Month. For one squadron, we can take a sneak peek on what the future of the Air Force looks like.
The Shooting Stars of the 22nd Intelligence Squadron, led by Lt. Col. Hallie Herrera, commander, and Maj. Minnenne Holloway, director of operations, share their experiences, triumphs and leadership philosophy.
Maj. Holloway is the daughter of two U.S. Army officers and lived overseas, so she didn’t fully internalize what made her unique until she moved to Jackson, Mississippi and received an, “Immersion into Black culture in the Deep South beyond seeing family during the holidays or vacation.”
This experience allowed her to see the unique and diverse perspectives across her own Black culture. As a military dependent, Holloway went from living in Mississippi to Japan and then Kansas, and each location change came with a demographic shift and cultural intricacies to navigate. The layers of diversity go beyond demographics and intersectionality of those identities highlights crossroads between the layers that make each person.
Throughout her life stages, she faced many instances of micro-aggressions, like people telling her that she, “talked white,” commenting on her hair, or assumptions about whether she was an officer or enlisted. As she moved to different countries and regions of the U.S., some accepting of her ethnicity and heritage, others dismissive or not quite sure how to define her, she realized that she could look for ways to find common ground with others and build something from there
This concept has been her anchor through her childhood, and continued during her years as an Air Force Officer. As the DO of the 22nd IS, she believes in, “Owning things that you want to change and you want to drive - Putting [it] out there and establishing connections.”
Lt. Col. Hallie Herrera also followed the family tradition of military service - her father and brother served as crew chiefs and her sister was in the U.S. Army before becoming a U.S. Air Force civilian.
She is a self-confessed boy mom. For her, Women’s history month has taken on a brand-new meaning. The #MeToo movement, watching the glass ceiling shatter, the lean in movement, and the anti-racist movement all re-shaped her world view.
“I was fortunate to have a privileged upbringing, so I didn’t feel like it was a challenge. I learned about gender discrimination much later in NATO and SAF/IA and overcame it. However, when I took my married name, I felt additional challenges with a Latina name,” said Herrera.
“I want my sons to appreciate the value that women and diversity can bring. Separately, I grew up in a family that saw no color and now I understand that’s not okay. It’s important to see color to understand diversity, in order to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses that come with it. This is important to me because we are one big family.”
Herrera said she continues to figure out how to responsibly teach her young boys about Women’s History Month. Sharing her idea of role models and different types of strong women leaders within the Air Force Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance enterprise.
For her, these women showcase the variety of paths available to women in the military, and the multitude of options to define success. Herrera tries to be true to herself and those around her, showing her ‘real’ self by combining her life as a mother with her role as commander, always leading to the best of her abilities and sharing those lessons learned with those around her.
When asked about what Black History Month and Women’s History Month meant to her, Holloway said she loved what a fellow Airman had told her, “It’s about celebrating the human experience through that particular lens.”
For her, it meant taking the time to deliberately learn about specific experiences — especially if people are not normally exposed to a minority culture.
“It provides an opportunity to reflect and learn, which is always invaluable,” said Holloway. “Own who you are in your space and be authentic - it might not be familiar territory but it’s a good feeling to learn.”
When asked about the idea of being a role model in her community, Holloway said she believes in, “Educating and informing others about diversity.”
"[Airmen] should be able to see Black Women and specifically Black Women leaders with hair braided, twisted, or in locs, and not question whether it conforms to the norm of straight hair,” said Holloway. “The openness with which some leaders welcomed discussions about race was needed to help create a basis for understanding our differences. It only helps us become better teammates, and helps increase our empathy toward one another.”
Since she had struggled with questions like, “Am I enough?” She thought she could better assist her Airmen who might struggle with similar insecurities, by learning about them, and in turn be the cheerleader they need to help them through it.
Holloway has become more confident about her ability and her leadership through self-reflection and the executive coaching, and is paying that forward to members of her Squadron.
Herrera was equally eager to talk about her squadron, their heritage, and what it meant to be a ‘Shooting Star’ in the 22nd IS. For her, transparency and consistency were the cornerstones of her leadership through her tenure in the Air Force.
“Everyone remembers the person that was kind to them - in that regard, old fashioned ways still work,” said Herrera. She wants to know everything about her Airmen, from, “What you ordered for takeout, to if you bought a new home. It would have been awesome if as a 2nd Lt., my commander knew I talked to my sister every day; just because I wasn’t married didn’t mean I didn’t have a family.”
This style was vital recently, when Herrera and her leadership team were able to help a grieving family over the holidays, because they lost a member to suicide.
“This is not the time to scramble, to ask horrible questions like the name of the lost family member. Instead we knew exactly who was going to help, who needed help, and what gaps we could fill,” said Herrera.
Both Herrera and Holloway are passionate about leading by example, being transparent, consistent, and honest with their fellow Airmen. They are showing the 70th ISR Wing how the 22nd IS operates as the “connective tissue that integrates policy and technology - working in the seams to fill the chasm that currently exists.” They are also simply two incredible women leaders!
Article by Capt. Monita Alcantara

• Date Taken: 03.26.2021
• Date Posted: 03.30.2021 10:10
• Story ID: 392581
• Location: MD, US