Photo By Spc. Mariah Aguilar | U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nicole Burney, poses for a photo at 25th Infantry...... read more read more
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SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii— Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nicole Burney, 25th Infantry Division, was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Pennsylvania. She graduated high school from Wyoming Area Secondary Center, Exeter, PA in 1997 and enlisted into the U.S. Army as a Laboratory Specialist (91K) on November 15, 2000. At the time, Burney dreamed of becoming the first female Sergeant Major of the Army; instead, she chose to become a human intelligence collection technician, whose drive and determination pushed her through various challenging military schools.
With 22 years of service, Burney has achieved numerous accomplishments, including Airborne School, Drill Sergeant School, Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Level C High-Risk training.
When Burney joined the military, options for female Soldiers were more limited than they are now. Gender equality in the military is fundamental to Burney, and through her actions, she hoped to help create better opportunities for female service members.
“Equality for service members means that I’m seen as equal to the person next to me,” said Burney. “I know some males that asked me why I went to certain schools; my response was to pave the way, to prove that we can do it.’”
Throughout her career, Burney pushed herself constantly in hopes of being a positive role model for other female Soldiers. In 2005, she completed Airborne School. At the time, the ratio of female to male Soldiers attending was “unreal,” as Burney described it.
“I don’t recall the exact number of females in my class,” said Burney. “But I do remember I was the only one left when we graduated.”
As the only female graduate from her class, Burney believes that by going through these schools, she was able to prove to other female Soldiers that they can succeed just like her. With enough effort, it doesn’t matter whether or not the Soldier is female; they can complete any of the courses the Army offers.
“I feel that being part of the team in the Army, you’re as strong as your weakest link,” said Burney.
Burney continued to show excellence in her career while attending WOCS and was one of the first people to complete the land navigation course. Due to her strong leadership skills and experience, she was designated as a class leader in SERE-C.
The Army has changed a lot since Burney first joined and has made many changes in terms of gender equality. Now, female Soldiers are afforded the same opportunities as male Soldiers, and are able to serve in combat roles such as infantry, artillery, and Armor.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2023 22:15 |
| Story ID: | 451612 |
| Location: | SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Woman's Equality Day - Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nicole Burney, by SPC Alexander Steel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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