Good morning . Ladies and gentlemen ,
welcome to the 75th anniversary of the
Women's Armed Services Integration Act
of 1948 . Please stand for the arrival
of the official party . The honorable
Lloyd J Austin , Secretary of Defense ,
the honorable Kathleen H Hicks , Deputy
Secretary of Defense , the honorable
Michael P Donnelly , Director of
administration and management and
honored speakers , Vice Admiral Sarah
Joiner , Director for Structure
resources and assessment . J eight ,
joint staff and Major Shay have
executive officer to the Commanding
General United States Military District
of Washington .
Please remain standing for the
presentation of colors , the singing of
our national anthem followed by the
invocation .
Cool . Oh ,
they can use by the
daunt the light . What's up above ?
The
highlights are screaming .
Who's right ?
Hi , I
was on the street
mom's birth .
Ok .
That I'd like . Was you
small ? Oh ,
spangled
a do
and the Oh
babe . Right .
Oh ,
chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker Medco
chaplain office of the surgeon general .
United States Army will lead us in the
invocation . Please join me as I lift
the prayer creator ,
God . How much better is the US armed
Forces with both halves of our
population able to serve for when you
make a woman warrior , she is faithful
and fearsome and forever resourceful .
May the legions of ladies who have come
before to protect the lamp of liberty
without praise or pay like Harriet
Tubman rest in peace in the glow of
your glory . May those who now serve
75 years later wearing not only pants
but ranger tabs and so much more . May
our service be strong and true
regardless of the obstacles that remain ,
unite us in your kaleidoscope of
creation determined to give our lives
to this noble enterprise called freedom .
And in 75 years from now , may the
world be more compassionate toward the
disadvantaged , more determined against
oppression , giving voice to the silent ,
full of sacrificial love to do justly
to extend mercy and to walk humbly
before you . I pray this to be so in
your holy name . Amen , be blessed
America .
Ladies and gentlemen , please be seated .
The honorable Michael B , Donnelly ,
Director of Administration and
Management .
Well , thank you all and good morning .
It is my pleasure to welcome you today
to this extraordinary celebration of
the role of women in our armed forces .
We're joined today by four veterans
from the armed forces retirement home
who lived the history that we are
honoring today . MS Norma Rambo ,
who served for two years in the Marine
Corps Women's Reserve at Camp Lejeune
as a field cook and in the mess hall .
And after World War two , MS Rambo
graduated from college and went on to
teach 1st and 2nd grade for 27 years .
She's had two Children .
Yeah .
She's had two Children and lived most
of her life in Michigan . MS . Marian
Marks , who spent her career as a
member of the Women's Army Corps . The
Wax . Her first nine years were as a
cryptographer . Her remaining 12 years
were as a dental hygienist . MS
Marks began her career at Otis Air
Force Base and was also stationed in
England at mccord Air Force Base and in
Hawaii . After retiring , MS Marks
lived in Rhode Island near her family ,
MS Marks .
MS Corin Robinson served two years as a
corpsman in the United States Naval
Women's Reserve . The waves upon
leaving the waves . MS Robinson married
another navy corpsman and Miss
Robertson had three Children and
endured 19 moves with her husband's
career and they were married for 57
years . MS ,
MS Hillary Rosado served in the army as
an imagery analyst and retired as AC W
three . She was born in New Jersey ,
grew up in Scotland and enlisted at a
US Air Force base in England . MS
Rosado raised two daughters and has two
grandchildren . MS ,
each of these women step forward to
serve our country in its time of need
and by doing so , they stood up to the
skeptics , the doubters and the
naysayers . They made history . Thank
you , ladies ,
America's history is full of stories
about the acts of heroism and the
sacrifices of men who offered their
lives in service to our country . But
alongside those brave men were brave
women who also risked everything
for the cause of freedom . In the
revolutionary war , the civil war and
in the first world war , women served .
But when the guns fell silent , women's
service in war time was all too often
relegated back to the margins and
written out of our nation's story .
During the second World War ,
approximately 350,000 women
served in uniform overseas and at home .
As part of the greatest generation
after the war , American military
leaders decided to write a new chapter .
They realized that it would be
impossible to secure the peace in a
troubled world without the continued
service of military women . So in
1946 the army requested that
the women's army corps be retained .
After two years of debate on women's
roles in the military . Congress agreed
and on June 12 , 75 years ago ,
President Harry Truman signed the
Women's Armed Services Integration Act
of 1948 . Today ,
we therefore commemorate this
legislation and the permanent
integration of women into the armed
forces . This law was not the last
chapter but the beginning of many
firsts that have made our military
stronger and pushed our nation
to realize its highest ideals and
fulfill its fullest potential . One of
those firsts has joined us this morning
and it is now my pleasure to introduce
you to one of the first two women to
ever graduate from the Army Ranger
school major , Shay Haber ,
good morning chairman , my army
leadership secretary , Austin and the
honorable hicks . Thank you so much for
joining us today . For this celebration .
It is my honor to share this occasion
with you in the celebration of 75 years
since the Women's Armed Service
Integration Act was passed by Congress
in 1948 . The act which granted women
the right to serve as permanent and
regular members of the Army Navy Marine
Corps and the Air Force representing a
turning point for women's rights to
defend our country . The history of
women who have served in defense of our
great nation is astounding even without
the right to fully participate in our
conflict . Women have found a way to
disguise themselves in men's clothing
and cut their hair and do other really
strange things that we don't exactly
know why , but in order to participate
in something much bigger than
themselves , they stand shoulder to
shoulder for top tier units like the
female engagement teams in our war
against terror and they've found ways
to continue to serve and give their
lives in defense of our great nation ,
our people , our allies and our ideals .
We are all mostly aware of the iconic
first , at least generationally and
know to recognize and congratulate them
and those that have risen through the
ranks and served with distinction ,
although impressive and merited . Of
course , I would argue it is because of
the everyday heroine that we celebrate
today , that each first represents the
commitment , dedication and everyday
achievements of so many that came
before and who persist after
at the military women's memorial just
across the street over here at
Arlington National Cemetery . You can
read the personal stories and anecdotes
of these women . I like to call the in
betweens . They're the common everyday
soldier , sailor , marine and female
airmen that make up the firsts . And
they make us possible by their presence
and their persistence showing up every
day to do the work and demonstrating
the love that they have for their
country , their teammates and their
duty . That has made all the difference
for the military women of today . I was
11 years old when 9 11 occurred and I
watched as the military family member ,
how our military changed the community
around us changed and the nation
changed in response to those horrific
events . My dad served in the army for
24 years and my mom supported his
career and dedicated herself to the
military community as well . Setting an
incredible example for my two siblings
and me , especially in support of gold
star families and the service members
that were affected by the ultimate
sacrifice of our fallen comrades in
defense to our nation during the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars . These were our
neighbors , our friends and the family
that we chose . That environment left a
lasting impression on me about duty ,
honor and the love of country . It lit
a fire in my soul that I have continued
with passion and perseverance to pursue
throughout my lifetime . And also my
military career , I was just 12 years
old when my father was deployed to Iraq
as an attack helicopter pilot . When I
asked my mom if women could have a
career in the military . And she said ,
yes , of course . But what I really
wanted to know was if women could fight
and lead in battle , neither of us knew
at the time that there were women in
between . Just like Jessica Lynch and
cultural support team members
redefining what women in combat could
look like because of their courage ,
their service , their sacrifice and for
some the ultimate sacrifice , I am
honored to be able to stand here today
with you along with the 75 th
anniversary of the Women's Armed Forces
Integration Act . This year marks the
10th anniversary of the Direct Combat
Exclusion rule being lifted by
Secretary Defense Leon Panetta in 2013 .
It has been a slow process opening all
the military occupational specialties
to female service members . And we
don't quite have all of the roles and
branches filled across the services yet .
However , the significance is that
women can for the first time . Should
they be interested and qualified ,
volunteered to serve in any capacity ?
I am privileged like some of you in
this room today to have grown up in an
environment that has not constrained
what I can and cannot do . I joined the
army at 17 . And as a United States
Military Academy cadet , I knew from
the moment I stepped foot on those
grounds that I was exactly where I was
meant to be . And I was reminded every
day of what I could hope to become .
The army has given me incredible
opportunities to test my metal and
consistently push myself to improve
individually . And as a team member , I
get it right some days and other days I
make mistakes . Nothing worth doing
comes easy . At first , it is
persistence that makes all of us great .
Although suffering for suffering's sake
is not always the right answer .
Although I would probably assume for
myself that it is sometimes the right
answer . Persevering with passion for
purposes sake produces competence ,
confidence , consistency and character
that enables us to fight and win . I am
proud to lead and serve in a profession
that not only holds itself accountable
but me accountable to be able to become
all that I can be as a woman . I have
encountered challenges but have not had
to fight any harder than anyone else to
get into the arena for which I have
qualified . That is not to say that it
has been easy . It's been hard work ,
but I have not had to fight for my
right to suffrage or to be considered
an equal person in the eyes . Of the
law because I serve in the United
States Army . I have not had to
negotiate for equal pay promotion or
recognition for my contributions to my
organization . And I personally have
not had to advocate on my own behalf as
a woman for equity and inclusion
because of the incredible mentors ,
leaders , friends that are mostly men
that I've had the great fortune of
serving with . Along the way , I am
humbled that my experiences have been
afforded me because of the many women
and men that have gone before us and
championed these causes . We owe a
great debt of gratitude to those who
laid the groundwork to ensure that it's
no longer about closed doors , only
closed minds and we can do something
about that . We are responsible for
carrying the efforts forward into our
spheres of influence at home , in our
jobs and in our communities every day .
The truth is that there's still some
work to be done to include women in the
total force and it's not enough to just
open doors for women to walk through .
We must invite the men and follow
through with enabling and sustaining
them . It will take humility ,
ownership and accountability on both
sides of the gender equation to shift
our culture from seeing women as a nice
to have to something that is a must
have not every woman will be qualified
or interested in every job . Quite
frankly , the men aren't either ,
but we are a profession that prides
itself not only on training and
equipping ourselves to fight and win
our nation's wars , but to also train
and equip our allies and our partners
with the tools that they need to
succeed . So I think we have the skills .
What about our will ? Where one
person's torch trickles out another ,
picks it up their passion , ignites it
and we collectively continue to press
forward and it takes more than just
policy to shape the environment . We
know that it takes leadership and every
single one of us can and should be
taking action to enable the female war
fighter further our nation and our
national security depend on it . So
today , as we celebrate 75 years and
recognize the continued commitment of
this nation to support women's
permanent contribution to this endeavor .
The Department of Defense continues to
set an example in the world by
balancing the social and political
issue . But really our primary mission
of deterring war and protecting the
security of the United States . The
women and men who volunteered to serve
this incredible mission and people are
worthy of our support . It is they who
will continue to carry the torch
forward as we stay ready for any future
conflict crisis or competition .
Acknowledging that women have walked
the tumultuous paths of firsts and
experience the isolation often of being
an only along the way women in
between will ensure that that won't
last . And that for anyone whose heart
burns with the desire to do more , to
do better , to be better and to give
their all they belong here with that .
I am pleased to introduce uh our next
speaker who is Vice Admiral Joyner as
the Director of Infrastructure Resource
and Assessment . A remarkable example ,
ma'am of continued service and what to
what uh continued service for our
nation can look like , not just as a
woman but as a service member . Thank
you ,
honored guests . I am so pleased to be
here today . Mr Secretary Secretaries ,
I see the joint chiefs , I see the men
and women who serve in so many
capacities . It's my honor , but mostly
I stand on the shoulders of giants ,
one of which is only five ft tall .
I've been led to believe so I am uh
shrinking as I go , but uh certainly
you are all are giants in my heart and
uh I could not be here today without
you being here and persevering through
so many things . So thank you . Uh
every day I serve . I am so grateful to
be here . It is the gratitude to be
given the latitude to serve in every
capacity . But I am going to take you
back in time a little bit . I I like
sea stories . So we're gonna do a few
sea stories and we're gonna talk about
what the path looked like , not to
dwell on . What didn't go so well in
the beginning , but to show you where
we are today and how fantastic things
are and , and where we are and what
we're able to do when I entered the
United States Naval Academy . The
announcement had been made when I was
11 years old that I could go to the
academy . And I turned to my father and
I said , I'm going to go to the Naval
Academy . He had two older sons . He
said he started laughing and that was
it . I was in , I was gonna go best way .
I think this should be our recruiting
challenges . Just tell people they
can't do it and they're going to show
up . Um But when I entered in 1985
women were constrained to about 10% of
the brigade or less . We had been
challenged . We couldn't graduate 100
women . My class started with 135 and I
don't think we broke 100 when we
graduated . Um But many at that
time thought that women not only
couldn't fight but shouldn't fight as
well . So it was a combination platter .
And if you went to the Naval Academy
during that time , you were a second
class citizen because you could not
serve in combat . Um I went on a
midshipman cruise and I met a female
helicopter pilot and to be honest , I
had never thought about flying . She
was a rock star . Her last name was
Donovan . Um So she's a part of a , a
good group of a navy family that exists
today . When I met her , I figured out
women could fly , I could only do non
combat roles . There were only limited
squadrons I could go to , but someday I
wanted to fly a jet off of an aircraft
carrier . So that was where it started .
When I completed flight training . I
had a limited number of places I could
serve , but I was able to pick jets . I
flew a four S went to the Philippines
in 1991 and I served there as an
aggressor pilot . I was one of two
women in that squadron with very
limited uh enlisted as well , two women
pilots . Uh It was very clear from the
beginning that not being able to serve
in combat was going to be difficult .
Um My male counterparts , that's what
they valued , they understood they
wanted to uh to do that and they
understood that's really what service
was about for them at that time . So it ,
it was a difficult time in that
squatter as we went forward though ,
there were always supporters who helped
out . Um But what happened in
2003 or 1993 was very
remarkable and it was the repeal of the
Combat Exclusion law and that changed
everything . And that road , what that
was the Segway in uh that came after
our 75 years that we're celebrating
today . And that allowed me to become
an F-18 pilot and to serve more fully
and I was able to go and I was behind
my male counterparts . I had been in
two V C squadrons . So I went to sea
for five years and I served during this
time , I also married my husband and we
both deployed different directions
because he was a naval aviator as well .
And I knew I was in the spotlight
because there were so few of us . I was
one of two female pilots in that
squadron who became one pilot uh at the
time . And I knew that every time I did
something people were watching , there
weren't very many but persisted .
And in 2007 coming forward , I became
the CEO of a strike fighter squadron .
Amazing . I was the ceo of the
gunslingers . And with me in every
place within the organization were
women . I had a female master chief , I
had a female ma maintenance officer . I
had female pilots and I had female
enlisted all through the ranks , female
chiefs . And it was a completely
different experience . Um So
while in command , I'll tell you a
story of one night where I launched
from the aircraft carrier . It was O I
F it was 2007 and it was a surge and we
were going to drive the bad guys out of
Iraq . That was the idea . I went out
and what should have been sort of a
quiet night . There wasn't a lot
planned , but there was always
something going on became a kinetic
night . As one of the convoys that we
were looking out for came under fire .
They hit an I E D and uh ,
unfortunately there were casualties as
we got on the radio . My wingman and I ,
we were the last event of the night
from the carrier and we were talking to
a young soldier on the ground . I don't
know if he was an air controller or not .
He picked up the mic and started
talking . He asked us to remain on
station while they medevaced their
wounded . He said that there were ,
they could hear people out there , they
could hear gunfire and they asked us to
stay overhead . We went into mission
extension mode . So you start managing
your gas . People start trying to help
you . Um , the C R C starts vectoring
all sorts of help your way . They start
sending tankers your way and some of
those tankers , they had men's voices
and some had women's voices . Those C R
C operators , some were men and some
were women and it didn't matter . So as
we , uh , when we were doing a Daisy
chain , we were going to the tanker ,
they were pushing gas to us . We stayed
overhead . They were able to me back
out , they're wounded and they were
able to safely ex out of the area and ,
and go back and they , they were able
to not come under any other fire or
take any other casualties . My wingman
and I knowing that we were a couple of
hours past our recovery time , flew
back as fast as we could all the way in
after burner and , uh , came in and ,
uh , landed and the entire flight deck
was silent when we shut down because
everybody else had returned hours
beforehand , got out of the jets and
everybody's like , well , where have
you been ? And , uh , and we started
telling the story and you could just
see the faces on the sailors as they
realized that they were part of taking
care of people . They were part of that
mission . They were part of making sure
that people on the ground stayed safe .
They were part of the mission that was
going on for it in , in Iraq at the
time . And what I will tell you is ,
it's a shared mission . It's a shared
story . It was men and women and nobody
cared what your voice sounded like .
What you look like . All they wanted
for you to do was to do your mission .
So that's the story . I'd like to bring
forward today . That's where we are
today . Nobody cares what you look like ,
just do the mission and do it well . So
today I'm surrounded by men and women
in uniform . They fill every role ,
army ranger here today to join us . Um
It's a pretty amazing situation that we
see as we're able to serve in every
capacity . My husband and I both served ,
we served together and he retired after
25 years of service and we were able to
balance out and have two wonderful
Children . He took care of my kids two
different times while I was on
deployment by himself . And I took care
of the kids when he was on deployment .
So , and we both agree that it's easier
to be the person who goes and the
person who stays , that tells you
something . Yeah . Um my
Children know what it is to serve and
my daughter is , is serving , she's
entering into service as well . So
that's what you bring forward . You
bring that love of service , that
understanding that there's something
greater than yourself . And there are
men and women today that are serving
with distinction and I am so proud to
be part of their ranks . So as I
look at today , today is a celebration ,
it's a celebration of what you all made
possible . It's a celebration of what
continues today and what is continued
to open doors for women throughout the
world . I think we are an exemplar and
you made that possible . So as we talk
about uh great and uh capable women , I
have to turn and I have the distinct
pleasure to uh introduce our Deputy
Secretary of Defense . She is our 35th
Deputy Secretary of Defense and just
happens to be our first woman Secretary
of Defense , our Deputy Secretary of
Defense . So it is my pleasure to
introduce the honorable Kathleen Hicks
and madame secretary , your floor .
Well , let me uh thank Vice Admiral
Joyner for the very kind introduction
and good morning everyone . Secretary
Austin , thank you in particular for
the time that you're taking out of your
busy schedule to join this important
occasion . And I want to also
acknowledge as my colleagues have done
MS Rambo , M Marks M Robinson M Rosado .
Welcome to the Pentagon and thank you
for your service . Let me also
acknowledge Admiral Frank KT and the
many service leadership uh members that
are here today . Secretary of the Army ,
uh we as well and congresswoman Nancy
Mayes , thank you uh for joining us .
What an absolute pleasure . It has been
to listen to both Admiral Joyner and
Major Haver . Um Your words are
inspiring . Your careers are inspiring
since major have graduated from Ranger
school . 116 more women have
successfully soared through the glass
ceiling that she helped shatter . And
today six female students are currently
in training and Admiral Joiner . You
are nothing short of inspirational as
well . The first woman to command a US
Navy strike fighter squadron and the
first female commander of a carrier Air
Wing . It's no wonder your call sign is
clutch even so it's
still too early to opine upon either of
your legacies as your careers continue .
This anniversary serves as a timely
opportunity to celebrate the tremendous
talent , tenacity and expertise that
women have long contributed to Dod's
mission since the nation's first war .
Unlike them , today , women are able to
serve in the military , regardless of
their race or identity or their station
in life . They can serve in combat
roles , they can become army rangers ,
fighter pilots and four star generals .
And the list goes on , women in uniform
continue to make history every day ,
taking on roles and responsibilities
that were not before possible or
attainable progress like the progress
we're celebrating today is not
inevitable . In fact , it is often met
with skepticism and outright resistance
for decades . Critics have openly
argued that our differences could be
our downfall . They question with women
in the ranks . Can the US military
maintain the connection , camaraderie
and community that are among its
hallmarks and greatest strengths ? I
don't think anyone today would
seriously question the dominance of
today's us military , the finest
fighting force that the world has ever
seen . The full integration of women
into our armed forces has only made our
military stronger and our nation safer
and more secure . And in addition to
that , it moved the entire nation
closer to the promise of full equality ,
reinforced the power of unity around
our shared values and under scored that
we as a nation are more effective when
we draw on the talents of qualified
Americans willing to serve . I come
from a military family , men and women
who have proudly served this nation .
In fact , back in 1975 . My father
served as the action officer for the
admittance of women to the naval
academy . So you're welcome Pletch .
Back in 1976 81 women trailblazers
entered the Naval Academy for the first
time . 55 women graduated from that
class when Secretary Austin delivered
commencement remarks to this year's
graduating Naval Academy class . There
were 267 women graduated .
So we should be proud of the progress
that the department has made to
maintain a US military that reflects
the nation that it is called to defend .
It is historic and re rightfully
celebrated . Yet as we do , we
acknowledge that our work is not done .
It is our responsibility to break down
even more barriers for all of us and
for the generations to come . I for one
am very proud to help lead a department
that continues to expand opportunities
to women . One that is committed to
advancing gender equity and equality
and one that acknowledges that the
service and sacrifice of all those who
serve this nation are to be honored .
So I thank each and every one of you
for coming to celebrate this occasion
with us today . And it is now my honor
to introduce our keynote speaker ,
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin .
There's more
Secretary Austin throughout your your
very brief 41 year career serving in
the US Army Secretary , Austin
distinguished himself as a brave war
fighter , sharp strategist and
empathetic leader over the past two
years as our 28 Secretary of Defense ,
he has doubled down on that legacy . He
has deepened our partnerships with
alliances throughout the world ,
tackled tough security challenges and
ensured that D D is prepared to defend
the nation now and far into the future ,
Mr Secretary . The floor is yours .
Wow .
Well , good morning . Let's , let's
hear it again for our outstanding
deputy secretary
and it truly is an honor to serve
alongside you . So we appreciate
everything that you continue to do for
this department . She , I have to admit
I was surprised to see you wearing
glasses . I don't feel so bad now
because I have to wear glasses . But
see , there is this super woman rumor
floating around and I couldn't figure
out if those were Clark Kent type
glasses or ,
and Admiral Joyner . If I took a vote
right now , I think everybody in the
room would say we don't want to hear
the sector , we want to hear more war
stories . So that's a pretty good war
story . I couldn't figure out whether
or not the person that you were trying
to protect the people that you were
trying to protect me and the chairman
because we did get blown up one night
in Baghdad together . But I think the
times don't match , but that's quite a
story and , and , and thanks to all of
you for being who you are and for what
you do for our military , let me also
thank uh Congresswoman Mace for being
here and also senior leaders
at the Department of Defense who have
joined us today . And
again , a solid word of thanks to uh
Major and Vice Admiral Joiner for
what they've done to blaze uh new
trails for women service members . And
so today , we celebrate 75 years since
President Truman signed the Women's
Armed Services Integration Act . And of
course , as Mike said earlier ,
women have always stepped up to defend
our country in our revolutionary war .
Women operated behind enemy lines as
spies in the civil war . Some 3000
women served as nurses for the Union
army . And during World war one , women
were translators and accountants as
they operated switchboards and they
operated switchboards . And by World
war two women were driving trucks and
rigging parachutes and they were
serving in the Marine Corps like Norma
Rambo who you just met and
women began cracking code as
cryptographers like Marian Marquez as
you also met earlier . And they paved
the way for more women who are joining
us today like Corinne Robinson , who
served in the navy and Hillary Rosado ,
who also served as an imagery analyst
for the , for the army . Let's thank
all of these great Americans for their
service once again
and I have it on Good Accord . Uh And
that uh you are going to reach uh the
ripe age of uh the young age of 100
here in September . Uh M Rambo is that ,
do I have that correct ?
God bless you . After World War II ,
our top military leaders finally
endorsed making American women full and
permanent members of the armed forces .
But getting that through Congress
wasn't easy . At one hearing , the
chairman of the House Armed Services
Committee questioned why women should
serve in our military on the same basis
as men . And the first witness to
respond was General Dwight D Eisenhower .
And he said , simply we need them ,
we need them . The United States
military needs women . Our military is
the best fighting force in human
history . And to keep it that way , we
need the best war fighters in every
domain of potential conflict . And the
only way to make that happen is by
drawing on the talents of all of our
people and not just men who happen to
represent less than half of the US
population . And in return , we must
create a military where American women
can contribute the full range of their
skills and strengths and where they can
take advantage of all that , a career
in the US military has to offer like
being a part of something bigger than
yourself and defending the values of
freedom and democracy and making a
difference and growing as experts
and as leaders , we
owe it to American women to get rid of
bias and to wipe out the cancer of
harassment and sexual assault in our
ranks . We owe it to them . To make a
military career compatible with raising
a family for both mothers and fathers .
And we owe it to them to break every
barrier in the way of their service .
This is a priority for the department
of Defense . And I'm so proud to have
you all as teammates to get it done .
You know , back in 1948 1 of the main
supporters of the women's immigration
legislation was Colonel Mary Halloran .
And I love telling the story of what
happened when she enlisted . You see ,
Colonel Halloran was just five ft tall
and the recruiter asked her what the
army could do with someone so short .
And she replied , you don't have to be
six ft tall to have a brain that works .
And she became a colonel and a director
of the army , the women's army corps ,
women's army corps . Now ,
as women service members waited for
Congress to act , many got frustrated
and considered leaving the military .
But Colonel Halloran encouraged them to
stay on in an open letter . She
reminded them of the hurdles that women
had already achieved already cleared .
They had already proven their value in
wartime and in peace time . And she
said , those who bet against you lost .
Ladies and gentlemen , 75 years ago ,
American women won a game and
America won yet a game . We've now
had three women lead combatant commands
including General Richardson at South
comm and General Van Ovos at transcom .
We've had distinguished women , four
star officers in the army , the Navy ,
the Air Force and the Coast Guard and
command Sergeant , Major Veronica Knapp ,
recently served as a senior enlisted
leader of the 101st airborne Division .
And three years ago , Joanne Bass
became the first woman to serve as
Chief Masa Sergeant of the air force .
Women's service has made our military
stronger and that's worth celebrating
today . And it is yet another spur to
drive us all to make even more progress
as we go forward together . So let's
renew our resolve to make our military
even stronger , more capable and
more just for all the brave patriots
who raise their hand to serve our great
country . And I am truly honored to be
here with all of you . And I'm proud of
what our women contribute to this great
country . May God bless you and may God
continue to bless the United States of
America . Thank you ,
ladies and gentlemen , the Persian Zone ,
United States Army band vocal ensemble
will perform making history .
Each of us helped when the battle was
down to the wire and
all of the women and the men who came
through under fire and
maybe not one of us saved the day , but
maybe together
when the call got through , when the
hill was taken , when the tide was
turned and the world was ,
I'm making his story
every moment . Could
we each have a role to play ?
Could Chips
and the song we too .
Taking his
every day
to we made . Thank you .
It so no
ST boring stuff .
All that came in tearing
you one more because his
story is affected by
how we've been intersected by a
million dreams connected part of
one home .
Every person is bad
is
with
is with the
no know which side you're on .
We history
will give a kiss or
went to the
I
I ,
yes , you had
guys answer the call .
Ladies and gentlemen , please rise for
the departure of the official party .
Ladies and gentlemen , this concludes
today's ceremony . Thank you for
joining us . Please feel free to come
forward and meet today's VIP S from the
armed forces retirement home along with
major have sitting in the front row
seats again . Thank you for attending
today's event and enjoy the rest of
your day .