Why did you decide to join the military?
I joined the fall of 1999, just graduating from high school and finding myself in the humdrum of college life, not knowing what to do with myself. The recruiters just happened to find me at the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time, however you want to look at it! ;) More here.
Where are you stationed and what is your assignment?
I'm currently stationed at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, serving in the KFOR Multinational peace keeping mission in the former Yugoslavia. It has been interesting at times, there is a lot about this region I didn't know about before coming here, but the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan has stolen a lot of our luster. Truth be told, it just isn't an exciting place to be anymore, people aren't getting shot at or blown up on a daily basis I guess. My job is a 91S, Preventive Medicine Specialist, which basically entails in short the Prevention of Disease and Non Battle Injuries. If it makes you sick and its preventable, its my job to prevent it.
What are challenges that you face by being in the military? Are they different than if you were a man in the military?
Being in the medical field, I have found that medicine is a lot more giving of women being in uniform then other fields. It is still very much a male dominated career field. I find that most women might find themselves a bit discriminated against when first joining a unit, but if they are able to show themselves to be a hard and capable worker and very proficient at their job, they are usually very quickly accepted by an otherwise male dominated unit.
What do you think a woman's role should be in the military? What is your opinion about women on the front lines?
If a woman can buck up and do the job with out playing the gender card (and unfortunately, there are plenty of women who do that) then I have no problem with them serving in any form in the military. I wish sex wasn't an issue, however unfortunately it is. This hasn't been more evident then lately since I've been on a deployment how much sex plays a role in the military. However, I've seen some very strong and capable women in the military who are very strong leaders. There are a lot of women who have what it takes to serve on the front lines, however that being said, there are also plenty of women who would cave under the pressure as well. It is a touchy subject that I have mixed feelings on, and I won't know for certain until the time comes where I find myself on the frontlines.
What do you enjoy most about being in the military? What do you disike?
The 'Hoorah' nature of being in uniform, the opportunities to see the world, the adventure involved, to name a few things. Being in the army has really given me a boost up in my view of myself at times as it is something I felt like I was good at. Things I dislike is how much of a role sex plays in the military, as mentioned above, among other things. Sometimes it can be a very stressful environment, rank plays a large role, and there is a lot of politics. But overall, I've been very satisified with my military career so far.
How do males treat you when they realize that you are in the military? How to male members of your troop treat you?
A lot of people when they first find out I'm in the military are a bit taken back by it, but as they come to know me, they find out that it fits me pretty well. I think a few guys seem a bit intimidated by it at first, but they seem to quickly get over that :) As for the members of my unit, they have always seemed to be accepting of me being in uniform, though I have found it difficult in the past to juggle my rank as a sergeant and in a position of leadership with trying to be taken seriously and at the same time not coming across as a complete (excuse my french) Bitch. Most of the time, they find that I'm a hard worker and trying to get the mission accomplished, and usually they will listen to me.
What is your longterm goal after your military service?
This is a topic that is constantly fluctuating for me. A part of me wants to serve my 20 years and do my part, but another part of me wants to seek out other career fields and see where I can go from there. The military is not the best thing to be in when thinking about things like family and kids. I don't think it is something I want to put children through if I come to that time where I decide to have some. I'm up for Reenlistment very soon, I have to make a decision of getting out or staying in here shortly.
Any advice to women considering joining the military?
Be prepared to make some sacrifices, whether you be a man or a woman. The military is not an easy lifestyle, and it is very much a lifestyle. Unfortunately, as a woman you are already on a lower rung in the ladder then your male counterparts, so you have that to overcome, but if you can, you will be respected that much more for it.
Why did you begin blogging? How long have you been blogging and what have you learned by blogging?
My beginning blogging was actually kind of a fluke, a friend I had met a few years back (Fall of 2001) had a blog, and I thought it was an interesting idea and so I've been doing it ever since. Its been something I did just for fun for a while, though my blog didn't take off until last Fall after the presidential election. That took me by slight surprise, to put it lightly. I learned a lot about writing from blogging, strangely I didn't like writing very much until the last five or six years.
Thank you, Kami, for taking the time to do this interview!
Posted by Jody at July 3, 2005 01:12 AM | TrackBack