Kandahar troops observe Women's History Month

By Pfc. Elisebet FreeburgMarch 27, 2009

Kandahar troops observe Women's History Month
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Servicemembers at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, listen as Col. Leigh A. Coulter, decorated 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command G2 officer, shares her experiences as a female in the military. Coulter was the keynote speaker at a March 25 Wo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Kandahar troops celebrate Women's History Month
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan-Soldiers of the 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command hosted an event the evening of March 25 in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tent here in honor of Women's History Month.

Decorated 143d G2 officer, Col. Leigh A. Coulter, spoke at the event titled "Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet," sharing her numerous experiences as a female in the military. Her experiences include commanding the 724th Military Police Battalion in Umm Qasr, Iraq; and serving as the 800th Military Police Brigade chief of staff at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Col. Kathryn Hall-Boyer, 143d command surgeon, presented a slide presentation on the history of women in the military, dating from the American Revolution to the present.

Servicemembers from the Army, Air Force, and Navy attended. One such attendee was Staff Sgt. Marcella Benavidez, 143d food service noncommissioned officer.

Benavidez said the event was well organized and she enjoyed the refreshments provided.

"I found it (the event) knowledgeable about how far back women were in the military," Benavidez said. "I was also impressed with Col. Coulter's accomplishments and her visual slide presentation of her deployment in the middle east."

Several women leaders of the 143d participated in the event, including assistant staff judge advocate, Capt. Anne K. Brophy; equal opportunity advisor, Master Sgt. Tracy Marshall; and chief paralegal noncommissioned officer, Master Sgt. Roslyn

Mason.

The 143d Color Guard presented the colors and Lt. Col. Delois Watson-Brown, 143d G2 intelligence officer, sang the national anthem.

Col. Stanley E. Puckett, 143d chaplain, prayed the invocation and Capt. Ronald Wells, 25th Naval Construction Regiment chaplain, gave the benediction.

The Commanding General of the 143d, Brig. Gen. Daniel I. Schultz, gave the closing remarks.