PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (March 14, 2024) -- In celebration of this year's International Women’s Day, the 517th Training Group’s Torch Athena team hosted a panel discussion and invited Monterey area civilians, military personnel and spouses.
The featured panelists included Col. Anna Voyne, Capt. Saleha Jabeen, Chief Master Sgt. Alison Middleton-Althoff, Leah Graham and Mayda Cruz.
Capt. Lindsey Franceschi, test control officer with the 517th Training Group, moderated the discussion and provided topical questions to the panelists. In response, the panelists provided insights about their personal and professional journeys as women working in the military community.
Topics of discussion included challenges faced, achievements and the value of diversity and inclusion in the armed forces. The panelists introduced themselves and shared what empowering and including women in the workplace meant to them.
“I happen to be in the organization with the fewest women–about 7%-8%, on a good day,” said Voyne, the commanding officer of the U.S. Marine Corps detachment at the Presidio of Monterey. “It's really about building strong teams and surrounding yourself with strong people that challenge you. I am better because I have a staff that is made up of men and women of great caliber and I learn from them every day. It's important to have an array of folks around you because there are things that you may not see from where you stand and everyone’s perspective matters.”
Several panelists offered advice to women working in a male-dominated culture. Middleton-Altoff, the senior enlisted leader with the 314th Training Squadron, spoke at length about the importance for men and women alike to participate in the changes that are needed.
“It's a culture that we're all responsible for creating, so that at some point, maybe when [my young daughter] joins the Air Force, we won't need a women's empowerment panel and there won't be a dichotomy between how men and women are treated in the military,” Middleton-Altoff said.
Leah Graham, director of technical training with the 517th Training Group, said that while preparing for the panel discussion she became curious to know what research had to say about the benefits of women in leadership.
“Organizations run by women have statistically higher rates for employee engagement and retention,” Graham said. “Fortune 500 companies with a large presence of women in senior leadership make 10% more in profit each year, which is pretty significant.”
In addition to aligning with good leaders and taking advantage of every opportunity to be exposed to new challenges and learn more, Graham advised that women think about ways they can show up differently.
“I think one of the most dangerous behaviors is actually not asking for what you want and what you need and what you deserve,” Graham said. “A lot of times we [as women] are socialized to not take up so much space, to not talk too much. This is something we can do something about. I advise you to think about and know what you need, talk about what you deserve, because if you don't, how can you expect anyone else to?”
Several of the panelists reiterated the importance of learning more about themselves and gaining confidence. Capt. Jabeen, a U.S. Air Force chaplain and the only female Muslim chaplain in the DoD as of March 2024, said she will often share from her own experiences.
“All of us can be the minority in one way or the other in this life,” Jabeen said. “So, know that you’re there for a reason and ask, ‘What is my purpose?’ A lot of voices will go in, invest time in knowing who you are, what your voice is.”
Mayda Cruz, an associate professor of Spanish at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, affirmed the input of her fellow panelists. “Be authentic, be yourself. You don't need to pretend just to fit in. You don't have to pretend anything. Be who you are.”
Torch Athena is a U.S. Air Force women’s initiative program, focused on educating, inspiring and empowering female Airmen across Air Education and Training Command. One of the event’s organizers, and the 517th’s Torch Athena lead, is Tech. Sgt. Debby Floyd.
“The Torch Athena program has given me an amazing opportunity to connect with other strong women leaders here in Monterey,” Floyd said. “I have even had the opportunity to help guide some of my peers, and that has been very empowering. I’m proud of the program we are creating within the 17th Training Wing and at the Presidio of Monterey. I hope that attendees at this event learned something from the panelists and that our younger service members saw themselves sitting in those panelists' seats and left with a new sense of community and inspired to take on leadership roles throughout their career.”
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