Women's History Month session inspires attendees

By Jeremy Henderson, Army Flier Staff WriterMarch 27, 2015

Women's History Month session inspires attendees
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 27, 2015) -- A small group of Soldiers and civilians gathered at The Commons March 20 expecting an informative lunch and learn session honoring Women's History Month, but they received inspiring messages of determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

"I cannot stress enough to the young female generation the importance of hard work and professionalism," Staff Sgt. Kari Brenner, 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, said. "There are times you are going to feel lonely and even downright discouraged. But remember, we are all going to have to stick it out and find the ones along the way who support us. It doesn't have to be a specific race or gender. It doesn't even matter what background they come from, as long as you know they will encourage you and inspire you to build exciting and amazing careers."

Brenner's message came at the end of her speech to the luncheon attendees. Her success story was one of many shared in support of Women's History Month's "Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives" 2015 theme.

"My father had to sign the paperwork to allow me to join the Army when I was only 17 years old," Brenner said. "I had a rough life growing up and always found myself in trouble. Not knowing which path would be the best, I desperately wanted to make my parents proud and prove to them I could become successful one day. I had all the odds stacked against me, with my whole family practically taking bets on whether I would be in prison or dead by the age of 23."

Brenner said she was determined to prove them wrong and saw enlistment in the Army as the perfect opportunity.

"I chose a challenging career in Army Aviation that would prove, not only to them, but also to myself that, no matter how difficult it may be, I was going to be successful," she said. "This was the mindset I brought with me to the United States Army."

Brenner outlined her journey, beginning with basic combat training in September 1999.

"I quickly realized this might have been a bad choice as soon as the drill sergeants began yelling in my face day in and day out," she said. "Graduation day couldn't come soon enough. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of my family seeing me walk across the stage as an American Soldier."

Brenner continued her journey after graduation at Fort Rucker, where she entered advanced individual training to become an Aviation operations specialist. She then traveled to her first permanent duty station in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The first field exercise of her career was a learning experience in more ways than, Brenner added. She noticed a separation of gender in duty tasking and heard male Soldiers suggest the women should stick to cleaning. Brenner said she decided to express her concerns to her superior.

"I was afraid that making a complaint would change the way my boss treated me," she said. "And I was right. However, I was one of the lucky ones. My boss not only understood my point of view, but recognized how difficult it was for me to come forward. From that point forward, he seemed to push me harder and teach me more. He took me under his wing. Once he saw I was motivated, he focused more on molding me into the leader he knew I could be.

"Now, where I stand today, I have the opportunity to tell the females who come into the Army that it will never be easy," she added. "You will always have to work a little harder and a little smarter. Some of them will face uncertainty and ridicule while others have to contend not only with the challenge of their jobs, but also with the perception they're not up to the task based solely on their gender."

Sherie' Trone, Equal Employment Opportunity specialist, opened the luncheon with a declaration of female strength and resilience.

"Women, we are resilient," she said. "We can take a licking and keep on ticking. We are one of the most underrepresented classes in the workforce, but that has not, does not and will not stop us."

Trone shared the story of women like Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley who, after finding her husband and fellow artillerymen wounded, picked up a gun and held her position until reinforcements arrived during the battle of Monmouth. She shared the story of Lucy Brewer, the first female Marine, who masqueraded as George Baker to serve for three years aboard the USS Constitution during the War of 1812.

"However, history is not just in the past," Trone said. "It is fluid and ever-changing. Women are making history every day. Women like Malala Yu-Suf-Zi, a Pakistani who, in 2014 at the age of 17, survived life-threatening gunshot wounds to the face by the Taliban, took her fight for peace and gender equality to the world stage and created the Malala Fund. The fund aims to empower girls everywhere through education."

"With this lunch and learn event, it is our hope that you will walk away feeling more empowered and motivated," she said. "Ladies, you are the makers of our children's, grandchildren's, and even our great-grandchildren's history. What you are doing today will be written about in the history books of tomorrow."

Attendees were also treated to informational presentations on nutrition and financial security.

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Fort Rucker, Ala.

U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence