Fort Lee Soldier first female selected as 92 Sierra sergeant major

By Amy PerryJanuary 11, 2016

First female shower, laundry and clothing repair specialist selected for sergeant major
Master Sgt. JennyAnne Bright, course manager for the 92-Sierra military occupational specialty, instructs a class about field services for Quartermaster Basic Officer Leader Course students Wednesday. As part of the BOLC course, Bright teaches junior... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEE, Va. (Jan. 7, 2016) -- Getting selected for sergeant major was a lofty goal at best for Master Sgt. JennyAnne Bright.

The 92 Sierra course manager -- under the Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department here -- knew the likelihood was practically nonexistent, but said she was undaunted in working toward the next step in her career progression.

"My MOS is very small," she said. "We have about 600 active duty Soldiers Army-wide. There are five E-8s, and three were competitive and on the list for potential promotion. There is only one E-9 spot in our career field. I didn't expect to get selected over any of them because they were my leaders at some point in my career. They also had broadening assignments and took on tough jobs. We've all had first sergeant duties."

Bright beat the odds and she now holds the added distinction of being the first active duty female sergeant major in her career field.

"I've never really thought about being the first among my peers," said Bright. "When the list came out, my division chief told me I was the first female E-9 for 92 Sierra, at least on active duty. I never looked at it in the manner of being the first in anything. Whatever is in front of me, I just work hard for it without trying to get something extra out of it."

Bright said she can't take all the credit for her success in the Army and attributes elements of her progression to other Soldiers she's encountered along the way.

"I don't look at it like I had something to do with it," she said of her selection. "I've been around amazing leaders and Soldiers. My evaluations are because of what other people did. How I got here is because of them -- all the Soldiers who worked alongside of me and the leaders who believed in me."

The 92 Sierra military occupational specialty was created in 2001 when 43 Mike -- fabric repair specialist -- and 57 Echo -- laundry and bath specialist -- merged into a shower, laundry and clothing repair specialist.

"Our MOS is shower, laundry and clothing repair -- I came in to sew," she continued. "I never thought I would be this far up in my career -- getting the chance to do the things I've done."

Originally from the Philippines, Bright and her family moved to Huntsville, Ala., when she was 8 years old. After her sophomore year in high school, they moved again to Columbia, Md. After graduating from high school, Bright said she wasn't even considering military service.

"Joining the Army wasn't my first choice," said Bright "My mom suggested I look at the armed forces. She escorted me to the recruiting station. Once I was in, I didn't think it would be longer than my first enlistment. As time went on, I was reenlisting in the Army two years at a time, and here I am.

"My school friends -- from Alabama or Maryland -- would never believe where I'm at now," she continued.

Bright said she didn't think about the possibility of retirement until she married in 2009.

"We started planning out the rest of our lives, and I knew then I would retire from the Army," she said. "But I never thought I'd make it to E-9 because it's competitive and there's only one slot."

While Bright recognizes her leaders for her success, she's spent her career leading Soldiers and seeking positions to mold the next generation of troops. After being assigned to Fort Lee in 2002 in the 16th Field Services Company under the now-deactivated 49th Quartermaster Group and deploying with them for the initial surge into Iraq, Bright sought out a position as a 92 Sierra instructor here.

After that, she elected to serve as a drill sergeant and got assigned to Charlie Company, 262nd QM Battalion, until 2007. Platoon sergeants replaced drill sergeants in advanced individual training in 2008.

Bright achieved her first major career goal when she was selected to be the first sergeant of the 590th Quartermaster Company, 10th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Drum, N.Y.

"After leaving Fort Drum as a first sergeant, I felt I wasn't finished being a first sergeant," she said. "It was something I wanted to do again. I asked to be interviewed for the duties at Tango Company (here at Fort Lee). With my previous experience as a drill sergeant, I felt like I could help the platoon sergeants organize the troops better as a first sergeant.

"Being able to be there for the Soldiers meant a lot to me," Bright continued. "As you go up in ranks, sometimes you get away from those newer Soldiers. As a first sergeant, you are training a whole company. When you move away from it and you're in staff, it's just you and some NCOs."

After her stint at Tango Company, she was selected for her current position and said she still misses the first sergeant experience.

"We train between 300-350 students each year, and I still have a role in leading them -- but they have their own first sergeants and platoon sergeants, so I have to focus on their technical proficiency here," she said. "We still encourage them with the Soldierization process, though."

Bright will attend the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, in August and will await her sequence number for promotion after that. Then, she starts working toward her new career goal.

"When I became an E-8, I wanted to become a first sergeant," she said. "It was the way to go for me. I enjoy training troops and being right there with Soldiers. In my mind, that's the only place to be and I will continue to strive for those types of assignments as a SGM or CSM."