Paving the way for future leaders

By Staff Sgt. William SalletteFebruary 17, 2015

Paving the way for future leaders
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. (R) Cynthia A. Pritchett addresses the U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms audience during their monthly meeting Feb. 12 at the Aliamanu Military Reservation Chapel, Hawaii. Pritchett was the first senior enlisted female to serve as ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Paving the way for future leaders
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. (R) Cynthia A. Pritchett addresses the U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms audience during their monthly meeting Feb. 12 at the Aliamanu Military Reservation Chapel, Hawaii. Pritchett was the first senior enlisted female to serve as ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Paving the way for future leaders
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms executive committee members pose for a photo after presenting Command Sgt. Maj. (R) Cynthia A. Pritchett with a Koa wood plaque with the Sisters in Arms Banyan tree logo on it Feb. 12 at the Aliamanu Military Reserva... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Paving the way for future leaders
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms executive committee members and Command Sgt. Maj. (R) Cynthia A. Pritchett pose for a photo after their monthly meeting Feb. 12 at the Aliamanu Military Reservation (AMR) Chapel, Hawaii. Pritchett was the first senio... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ALIAMANU MILITARY RESERVATION CHAPEL, Hawaii - The first senior enlisted female to serve as a command senior enlisted leader of a sub-unified combatant command in a time of war, Command Sgt. Maj. (R) Cynthia A. Pritchett, was the honored guest speaker at U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms meeting Feb. 12 at the Aliamanu Military Reservation Chapel, Hawaii.

Pritchett was the principle advisor to the Commander, Combined Forces-Afghanistan on all matters concerning joint/combined force integration, utilization and sustainment of over 20,000 U.S. and coalition forces serving in CFC-A Joint Area of Operations from May 9, 2004, until April 5, 2006.

She joined the Women's Auxiliary Corps in 1973 and has held numerous senior level positions including serving on both the Secretary of the Army's Task Force on Extremist Activities and the Senior Review Panel on Sexual Harassment. She also served as the Army's Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) from 1995-2001.

Pritchett took the opportunity to speak to the Sisters in Arms audience about some of her major accomplishments and lessons learned during her more than 36-year career.

"I think the most significant change I have seen in my career is the acceptance of female leaders in roles across the Army," said Pritchett. "Since Desert Shield and Desert Storm, people really recognized the talent that women brought to the table and the acceptance of that. Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, have really brought to the forefront

that women are capable of great things. Leaders today want the best in their organization and they are figuring out that sometimes, that's a woman."

In March 2009, Pritchett was inducted into the Army Women's Foundation Hall of Fame; and she was recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of military leadership and training.

Pritchett retired in 2010 and currently works as the strategic planner for the Near East, South Asia Center for Strategic Studies and serves as their Liaison to U.S. Central Command in Tampa.

When asked about the most important message she would like to convey to today's female service members, Pritchett remarked, "Get out of your comfort zone. In today's Army; we need leaders that are diverse. We need leaders that are agile. So when you get a task that is completely out of your comfort zone, don't back away from it. Take it on, embrace it, research it, and ask questions. You have to stand out above the rest."

USARPAC Sisters in Arms is a volunteer organization for women to strengthen peer-to-peer bonds, ingrain professional ethics, enhance professional and personal growth, and provide mentorship and guidance to one another. Although the program is focused on women-specific issues, men are invited to attend the monthly meetings and educate themselves about what women in the Army are concerned about, focused on and dealing with.

"The Sisters in Arms program has proven to not only be effective within the USARPAC community, but also the international community," said Sgt. Maj. Kanessa Trent, USARPAC Public Affairs sergeant major and member of the executive steering committee. "The program has been introduced to a number of USARPAC's regional partners, such as Bangladesh and Thailand and has been very well received proving that this program influences cultures outside of the Pacific."

For more information and updates on the Sisters in Arms program check out the program's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Army-Pacific-Sisters-in-Arms.