Photo By Spc. Austin Steinborn | U.S. Army Spc. Brandy Benites, a wheeled vehicle mechanic, assigned to 2nd Cavalry...... read more read more
Subscribe
NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria — In the increasingly loud hum of the motor pool filled mostly with men, U.S. Army Spc. Brandy Benites, a wheeled vehicle mechanic, assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, confidently approaches the comparatively large M984a4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Wrecker, a vehicle she is assigned to both operate and maintain.
Benites, a first generation American citizen and Soldier, knows very well how to care for recovery vehicles such as the wrecker from her H8 Wheeled Vehicle Recovery Course certification, which everyone in her occupation (and crew) is not certified in.
“In case a vehicle is down or they need me to recover a Stryker or humvee in the field, I can go out and recover that vehicle,” she said.
Originally born in Manassas, Virginia, Benites was just shy of graduating high school when she learned about the various opportunities the Army provided–one of them being tuition assistance for any future college endeavors. Ultimately, after fully seeing what the Army had to offer, she joined.
Although she isn't the first female mechanic in the Army, Benites hasn't served without challenges. She has proven that she’s just as, and at times more, knowledgeable as her counterparts.
“While I was doing a recovery mission in Hungary, I noticed a few of the males didn’t listen to me when I instructed them how to do a certain task that would have made it easier for them,” stated the certified mechanic. “But once another male listened and tried to do what I was telling them, and it worked… he thanked me.”
On what's commonly known as “motor pool Monday”, her duties include walking the line to help other Soldiers who are servicing their vehicles, performing quality assurance-quality control checks, and ordering replacement parts.
Doing such daily tasks, Benites learned to value a good work ethic to gain respect among her peers.
“Once you build that relationship and they see how you work, they start trusting you a lot more,” she said.
An important female leader who has helped her in her career was Sgt. Bailey Taylor, the first female sergeant she met at her homebase in Vilseck, Germany. Observing how Taylor worked and carried herself among her male co-workers, Benites witnessed how the Soldiers respected her and just how much that respect was earned.
“She inspired me a lot and taught me how to use my voice,” Benites said.
With three years of service so far, she enjoys the ability to teach and help other Soldiers, especially those without the H8 certification. She, in turn, enjoys learning from them.
“It’s a team-building experience,” she said. “They're so eager to learn and are always willing to help me and give me a hand.”
Being in such a hands-on occupation like a mechanic–which, according to Data USA, is 97.7% occupied by men nationwide–Benites is breaking stereotypes of what women are capable of and is an example of what any future female Soldier can do.
“Don't be intimidated; you can accomplish a lot more than you think,” she said as advice to other female service members. “At the end of the day, when you look back and you see all the things you've accomplished and obstacles you've overcome, you're going to be truly proud of yourself.”
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2022 07:47 |
| Story ID: | 418732 |
| Location: | MOKREN, BG |
| Web Views: | 234 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Braking Boundaries: Female Mechanic Navigates Toward Success, by SPC Austin Steinborn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT