The 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Equal Opportunity program hosted this year’s Women’s History Month celebration at the Centennial Club, Mar. 14.
The theme for this year’s observance was “Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination,” and commemorated the long history of women’s roles in the military and in society as a whole.
The basic knowledge of women’s history helps us to understand the challenges women have faced, said Col. Karen Keith, the Fort Bliss dental health activity consultant to the Surgeon General, and the guest speaker for the ceremony.
It is important to understand our history, and it is important that we share our history so that we can appreciate the accomplishments of women, she said.
Throughout her speech, Keith elaborated on the roles women have played in the military over the past century and highlighted some of their individual accomplishments. One area of emphasis included the recent addition of women to combat military occupational specialties and combat units around the country, to include Fort Bliss.
“The month of March is a great time to reflect on the impact that women have made in our society, in our politics, science and healthcare,” Keith said. “It’s a good time to look back and appreciate the challenges that we’ve faced and acknowledge those that we continue to face.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Col. Eric S. Strong, commander of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division expressed his gratitude to Keith for speaking at the event, and addressed the female leaders in the room.
“To the female leaders here, know that you continue to blaze a path for future generations,” Strong said. “It is not just about the accomplishments of the women over the past 300 years, so thank you all for your service and thank you all for coming here today.”