Command Sgt. Maj. Sheryl D. Lyon, U.S. Army Europe, visited Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels, Germany, on August 5 in celebration of Women's Equality Day, which is recognized in the United States on August 26.
Lyon was invited to attend the Women's Equality Day events at Hohenfels, not only because of her title and position, but because of an historical precedent: she is the first female command sergeant major of U.S. Army Europe.
For her first event with the Soldiers at Hohenfels, she participated in an early morning soccer game with dozens of JMRC Soldiers, including Col. Thomas Mackey and Command Sgt. Maj. Nicholas A. Rolling, commander and command sergeant major of JMRC, respectively. She addressed the group and emphasized her appreciation for JMRC and the work being done here.
Following the soccer game, female Soldiers of Hohenfels were invited to join Lyon in a professional discussion. In recognition of Women's Equality Day, Lyon and attendees held a question and answer session relating to women's roles in today's Army, including women in combat arms units.
The informal discussion allowed female soldiers to be more candid and ask their questions to the most senior non-commissioned officer in U.S. Army Europe. She was able to relate to the room full of women who are in predominantly male units.
"I am used to being the only woman on all-male teams, I could do that because I trained with them on a day-in-day-out basis, we gained that level of trust. I knew what their capabilities were, they knew what mine were, we [female soldiers] can be physically fit all day long but we have to be mentally tough," said Lyon in reference to women's role in the Army.
Lyon went on to talk about how women can react and continue to be successful while mindsets change with new roles for women in combat arms.
"At the end of the day you have to be good at whatever your job is, you have to do the best that you can do in all areas as a Solider," said Lyon.
Lyon reiterated the importance of female leaders continuing forward with their military careers, "If you take nothing else out of this, it is opportunities and reaching out and grabbing them."
For Lyon, now serving as the first female command sergeant major of U.S. Army Europe, the hardest barrier she has faced as a female NCO was people telling her she could not do something simply because she is a woman.
"I am not in this position because I am woman, I am here because I am good at what I do," said Lyon.
Sgt. Alexandra Hullett, JMRC Vipers, combat documentation production specialist of Miami, Florida, participated in the discussion.
"Personally, I got to see a lot of female Soldiers that are at JMRC. I do not get to work with a lot of female Soldiers, so it was nice to meet others and know that I am not alone," said Hullett.
Lyon's experience resonated with Hullett as a junior NCO. "I think having a female sergeant major helps motivate myself and as a leader [of] other Soldiers, so that they can feel they can become the best people they can be. I feel hearing her experience is going to help all the other women here empower themselves."
As a VIP guest at Hohenfels, Lyon was also invited to be the guest speaker at the Women's Equality Day event at JMRC's theater, where she spoke to Soldiers and gave a presentation on the history of female service in the military and how it has evolved. Her visit to JMRC also included discussions with senior enlisted Soldiers and a tour of the Observer Coach Trainer facilities.
JMRC's mission of training for multinational interoperability helps to highlight the United States Army's continuing expansion of the roles in which female Soldiers are able to participate.
"We are being given opportunities that we were not given twenty years ago. That is the bottom line, it is a question of whether we want to capitalize on those opportunities or not," Lyon said.
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