FORT LEE, Va. (May 13, 2010) -- Sharing information not only betters a person; it can better a military as well. Such was the case May 4-6 when seven female Jordanian soldiers visited Fort Lee to observe and share information with female Soldiers here.
The purpose of their visit was to learn how the U.S. Army integrates and employs female Soldiers and discuss the unique situations faced by women in the military. Several stops were coordinated to give them an idea of how we operate and allow for peer-to-peer discussions with female Soldiers on Fort Lee.
The first location was Kenner Army Health Clinic where they were given an overview of how the facility works by Col. Vivian Hutson, KAHC commander. A brief tour provided a few ideas the Jordanian soldiers would like to see implemented back home.
"I really like the advisor that tells you about your medicine and how to properly use it after you pick it up at the pharmacy," Jordanian Maj. Kefayeh Hiyasat said. "Another good idea is the play area with big TVs for the children to stay entertained."
Another highlight of their trip was a visit to the U.S. Army Women's Museum where Francoise Bonnell, acting director, gave the women an in-depth tour of how women have served this country since it was founded.
A trip to the new Soldier Support Center offered them more ideas they would like to implement once they got home. Some of the services provided at the center are not currently available to the Jordanians, such as activities for family members while they wait for their service member to complete processing or the various assistance they can apply for such as temporary loan of household items to new arrivals.
"The Soldier Support Center is a great facility," Jordanian Lt. Nosaybah Al-Omari said. "The services offered are a great benefit to the Soldiers."
To complete their tour, a visit to the new state-of-the-art Ordnance Campus highlighted Fort Lee's commitment to providing the best training to service members possible. They participated in a walk-through of the new dorm-style barracks that offer the students a new level of academic comfort compared to older barracks and were impressed with the hi-tech classroom and training facilities.
"The classrooms we visited were very hi-tech and comfortable," Jordanian Sgt. 1st Class Abeer.Bani Mustafa said. "The new student barracks are very nice also."
At the conclusion of their visit, they all agreed that the biggest difference between women in both militaries was the job opportunities available to women in the U.S. Army. In Jordan, they are more limited as to the jobs they can perform but added that new opportunities become available on a regular basis.
As they were preparing to leave for home, they were in consensus as to their favorite part of the trip; the friendly and highly motivated Soldiers they meet at each stop and the quality of facilities and training areas aboard Fort Lee.
"The people were very nice and the country is very beautiful," Jordanian Sgt. 1st Class Eman Ali said. "The Soldiers were very motivated and loved their jobs. I am looking forward to my next visit."
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