Women have played a significant role in the United States Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War serving as organizers, suppliers, nurses and even spies. The Daughters of Liberty showed their loyalty in the American Revolution by boycotting British products and making their own.
Today, women play a different role in the military, but it is no less important than the bravery of those that helped start our country. According to the Department of Defense, women make up 15% of the Army, a significantly larger portion than when the Army officially opened its doors to females.
In 1979 women could enlist in the Armed Forces on the same conditions as men but were not allowed to serve in combat roles. That changed in 2016 when The Pentagon made the decision to open combat jobs in every branch of the military to women.
In December 2017, I enlisted as a combat engineer in the Idaho Army National Guard. I feel privileged to be able to serve my country and community as a woman in a combat role.
Women in the Armed Forces have been breaking glass ceilings for a long time. A couple of my favorite stories are those of Capt. Rosemary Mariner, who was one of the first female Navy pilots in the ‘70s, and 1st Lt. Marina A. Hierl, who became the first female to command an infantry unit in the Marine Corps in 2018.
Joining the Army gave me a chance to meet wonderful people from all over the country. Another woman I went to basic training with grew up in Kenya and had a degree in aerospace engineering before joining the Army Reserves in her state. We keep in touch and it is a friendship I hope to never lose.
The people around me are strong, experienced and command themselves with the authority of leaders. I immediately admired them and felt lucky to be able to work alongside people who demanded the respect they deserve. As soon as I walked into the drill hall, my sergeants were there, teaching me the ins and outs of being a soldier in a route clearance platoon.
My job as a combat engineer in route clearance is to secure any route and make it safe for travel. This means I look for improvised explosive devices that can be hidden anywhere along the road. Communication and teamwork are incredibly important, because while we are on missions, we need to be able to react to any situation.
My training experience in the Army so far has been limited to weekend drills and month-long annual training exercises, but I look forward to the next four years of opportunity. Trying to be a civilian and a soldier at the same time is one of the more difficult things I have tackled. Being a student is stressful by itself, but time really became precious when I added a part time job and weekend drills.
Even with the added stress, I would not choose to have my college experience go any other way. I enjoy both of my jobs and am learning what I need to in college to begin my career as a journalist. My choice to enlist has given me so many experiences I will cherish forever, including the dull portions, and will allow me to graduate college with minimal debt. I love the path I chose that got me to where I am today.
The Army is not something I plan to make a career out of like many other amazing women do, but it is full of amazing life lessons I will never forget.
Anteia McCollum can be reached at [email protected]