HOHENFELS, Germany -- A lot more female faces are among the engine hoists, forklifts and wreckers these days at maintenance shops of the U.S. Army's Joint Multinational Readiness Center, here.
More than 20 percent of the District of Columbia's National Guard members on ground, here, are female, working alongside their active duty counterparts in support of Allied Spirit IV, a three-week U.S. Army Europe-directed exercise in January and February focused on multinational, unified land operations.
The women are part of the 104th Maintenance Company, 74th Troop Command, from Washington, D.C. The exercise they are supporting involves U.S. National Guard, reserve and active duty military from around the country, partnered with military members from seven participating countries.
National Guard units from California, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio and Washington, D.C., are teaming up with active duty members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment; 173rd Airborne Brigade; 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment; and the 1st Air Cavalry Division. These U.S. troops are joining forces with NATO nation soldiers from Canada, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom for a total of more than 2,400 military members working on common training goals.
That many troops creates a high demand on Hohenfels' maintenance shops.
"No matter what they are doing in the exercise, we keep the vehicles moving," said 1st Lt. Ashley Calloway, maintenance control officer for the 104th Maintenance Company. "People don't realize the magnitude of what we do."
As a maintenance company, the unit works on a variety of vehicles from various Humvee models to light medium tactical vehicles, and some work with track vehicles, explained Calloway, whose full-time civilian job is a management analyst for the D.C. District's Department of Transportation.
"We work on heavy construction equipment like forklifts and cranes, and our maintenance across the board is very vast. We work on everything," she said.
When asked about the high percentage of females in her company, Capt. Lisa Anderson said, "It actually surprised me to learn we have so many females on ground, because they work so seamlessly with the males; we didn't realize it."
Anderson, a former defense contractor who now works full time in real estate, said, "For me, it's a nice surprise. I see incoming Soldiers and at least 20 percent are female, so my books are getting heavier and heavier and becoming female dominant."
Anderson's 12-year military career has placed her in predominately male environments, but her current leadership team is all female, another first for the unit.
"I think it's a good structure to have females in the variety of (military occupation specialties)," Anderson said. "Our personalities are all different and it brings a different perspective, such as attention to detail, that we are stereotypically known for, so it's been interesting. They work just as hard and just as well as the males, so there's a good dynamic there."
Pfc. Alexandra Harris, a civilian security guard and a single mom who is new to military service and the National Guard, said entering the maintenance field has provided her with knowledge and confidence.
"Before, I didn't know anything about cars. Now I know concepts and I can tell if a mechanic is trying to swindle me," Harris said with a smile. "I am becoming comfortable, more confident and independent."
Sgt. Kimberly Wertley has been in the military and the maintenance field for 13 years. She is a wife, mother and combat veteran who deployed with a Stryker brigade to Iraq, as well as two other overseas deployments. She has also only worked in non-traditional fields for women.
"It's hard to be a woman and be a Soldier around a whole bunch of males, especially when you are a mother," said Wertley. "You want people to be taken care of."
Calloway said that females are becoming more prevalent in a greater variety of military roles.
"To learn of the three women who graduated from Ranger School is exciting, and it does go to show the headway that women are making and the presence that we have in the military ranks," she said.
"I'm excited that females are now officially allowed into all the different combat arms," Anderson said. "We were doing it anyway on deployments, going out and driving vehicles and participating alongside the males. It didn't matter once you were over there, so I think it's been a long time coming."
When asked about the large number of females in his unit, Sgt. Terrance McDonald said, "I don't think it's that uncommon. There were a lot of female mechanics. It's becoming the norm."
McDonald, a construction equipment mechanic and 14-year veteran, is also a full-time police officer with the Prince George County Police Department in Maryland.
When asked if there are any differences in performance in the shop between males and females, McDonald said, "No. I don't see a difference."
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