The dictionary defines "first" as, "coming before all others in time or order; earliest." But it doesn't tell you how you become first. Perhaps it should have a postscript that says, "See trailblazing."
Col. Janet Holliday, commander of Accessions Support Brigade, knows what being the "first" is like. She is the first female commander of ASB. She was the first female commander of Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. And, she has been among the first to realize the benefits from career broadening opportunities.
Her road through the Army started after she graduated college and enlisted in 1988--before the college option was available--where she started her career as a 46R. A broadcast journalist. Her most memorable moments were as a talk show host on "Gasthaus," while stationed in Germany.
'I really enjoyed the performance aspect of television interviews." Holliday explained. "I was able to interview local celebrities, general officers, family members, local nationals, (and) all different types of people that worked together to make an "American" community overseas. Since I had only been in the Army a couple of years at this point, it was a great learning experience."
But, as she started to explore her opportunities in the Army, she was led toward the officership path. The executive officer of the American Forces Network-Europe, then-Maj. Jerry White, who was later the commander of Southern Command Network in Panama, took an interest in her career and mentored her toward that path, through the OCS process, application and board.
"Unfortunately, after I left for Fort Benning I never saw him again," she said. "I was commissioned with his second lieutenant bars and was able to commission another new second lieutenant that I mentored some 15 years later with those same bars."
After graduation she was commissioned into the Signal Corps and became a tactical switch platoon leader in the 7th Signal Brigade in Germany, deploying her tactical message switch to Italy in support of Operation Deny Flight just a couple months after reporting.
"So, as a brand new second lieutenant I was riding in the cockpit of a C5 galaxy on the way to Northern Italy with millions of dollars' worth of commo equipment to support the no-fly mission over Bosnia," she recalled. "It was quite a responsibility. After about a year of that, I moved to the tactical satellite company where I was again a platoon leader…"
But she had a revelation after a freezing cold night in the German woods while trying to connect wires to switch boxes. She wanted to try--something different. So she went to the battalion executive officer and asked to be the personnel officer and luckily for her, he agreed. That led to her branch transfer to the Adjutant General Corps.
That whirlwind combination of experiences is where she quickly learned, "do what you like to do, do what you want to do." For example, when she was offered the opportunity to teach at West Point she jumped at it, over the objections of her career field manager who said she would never go anywhere if she didn't stay in her career field.
And she accepted an assignment as the commander of the Personnel Control Facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. She added that from that assignment, which she said was outside her HR career field, she learned about law enforcement, liaising with federal agencies, incarcerations and she got a real education in law as it pertains to AWOL soldiers.
"I learned so much in that job about the impact (that) bad and, or, disengaged leadership can have on Soldiers," she remembered. "So many of the Soldiers who went AWOL did so because of an uncaring chain of command who was unwilling to assist with personal problems. That was eye-opening for me as a young captain."
And if she ever wanted a job in city management, she said her time as the commander of Carlisle Barracks gave her an invaluable education.
She noted that as a garrison commander she was part of the city council for Carlisle Pennsylvania. She spent a lot of time at local businesses, with the elected officials, and the Pennsylvania state government. And she learned a lot about politics, how they could support businesses, how they support the Army and how to build relationships with the community.
When it comes to broadening a career or personal background, Holliday said she tells her Soldiers it's important to pursue those dreams we all have. And she encourages others to step outside their box to learn about other areas.
"The Army talks a lot about how important 'broadening' assignments are, but young officers are not always sure they will be rewarded for going off the beaten path," she noted. "I would tell them to … take every opportunity the Army offers. If the Army offers you a school, an overseas assignment, a 'training with industry,' a fellowship, anything outside the normal platoon leader/company commander/S3/XO path I would advise them to take it."
She also advised to take every opportunity to work with the civilian population or groups outside the Army because it lets civilians see what the military is really about, and allows military personnel to see what civilian jobs and processes are really about.
"One of the most interesting assignments I (have had) was my year in an African-American think tank in Washington D.C. for my Senior Service College Fellowship," she explained. "I was the only representation of the Army that many of them had ever seen...they did not know the difference between officer (and) enlisted, that women served, that we had college graduates, (and so on.) These opportunities are priceless in terms of tying the Army to American society."
Today Holliday is learning the ropes of ASB, learning what it takes to build an itinerary, where to stay for her travels for the best logistic outcome, how to get to where you need to be and who she needs to talk to for different event promotions. She has learned about
free-fall parachuting, testing ammunition, precision fire arms and truck driving.
The last 50 years have seen many changes in the way women are seen in the workforce, and Holliday said that while there are some jobs women wouldn't want to do, there is very little--if anything--that today's women is forbidden to do. She added that she has been impressed since joining the Army in '88, and that for the most part she has never been singled out because she is a female, and never been marginalized.
"Sure I have had a few challenges that maybe my male counterparts didn't have and I think they have had some I haven't had," she offered. "But I'm always incredibly proud of the Army and how far head of society in general, (it is) not just in terms of opportunity for women but how diverse we are.
"We don't even think about color and in the next few years we won't even think about gender. I think anyone who is looking to serve in an organization that really doesn't care about your gender, or color or anything else that makes you unique would do well in the military and should think about it as a career."
However, Holliday knows that the end of her military career is not far off and has planned a general course of action--like any good Army officer would. But while she will use things she learned in her career branch, it won't involve HR.
She plans to teach.
She said the University of Louisville has an "incredible program where they put you in an inner-city school to teach."
And during the time she is teaching she will get her professional certification for teaching. It's a one-year program and then she is guaranteed employment in one of the schools in Louisville where they need teachers.
"Or I've thought about going to Appalachia to teach," she added. "They certainly need me but can't afford me. However, I won't need (a lot of money.)"
Maybe next to "first," the dictionary should include a definition that says, "Leading from the front; see Janet Holliday."
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