Nimitz Presents First Lt. Cmdr. Regina P. Mills Leadership Award

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Renee Candelario, USS Nimitz Public Affairs

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy distributed the first Lt. Cmdr. Regina Pearl Mills Leadership Award during an award ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) Aug. 9.

 More than 500 Sailors from the Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB) community assembled on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) for the ceremony.

The award was presented to Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Saleema N. Massey.

"I'm excited," said Massey. "I didn't expect it. It's a very big thing for me. My heart is still racing. I was really close to Regina. I was here for both her tours on Nimitz and she did my last reenlistment. Having this award means a lot."

During the ceremony, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Mill's, Regina's husband, addressed the crowd of AB's.

"A few weeks after my wife's death I was contacted by members of the Aviation Boatswain's Mate Association (ABMA) to discuss a way in which we can honor Regina's memory," said Mills. "The decision was made by the ABMA Board of Directors to create this award. I cannot thank the ABMA enough."

Mills added that the purpose of the award is to recognize the outstanding leadership in the AB community.

 Regina's daughter, Cherie Ayer, also attended the ceremony to assist in presenting the award.

"[The ceremony] was really touching for me," said Ayer. "I'm really glad the award went to Massey. She's a great person and she deserves it. I'm glad everyone was able to get together on Nimitz. There's a lot of history on this ship. I'm glad to be here."

Regina reported for her second tour aboard Nimitz in December 2009 to serve as the Navy's first female aircraft handling officer. She is known for her strength, determination and tremendous leadership during her tours, said Mills.

Regina was struck and killed by a vehicle when she stopped to assist others involved in a traffic collision in Gig Harbor, Wash., Jan. 23, 2012.

Nimitz recently arrived at NASNI after successful completion of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2012.

Sailor Receives USO Woman of the Year Military Leadership Award

From Navy Safe Harbor Public Affairs

NEW YORK (NNS) -- Culinary Specialist Seaman Judith Mae Boyce was presented a Military Leadership Award during the 45th Annual USO Woman of the Year Luncheon hosted by the USO of Metropolitan New York April 26.

Boyce was one of five female service members – one from each branch of the armed forces – who received the award in commemoration of their dedication, achievements, and service to the country.

"I was completely shocked and incredibly honored to be recognized by the USO," said Boyce, who currently is recovering from surgery and recently celebrated her birthday. "I love New York. I grew up nearby, and I was so happy to have an opportunity to visit the city for my birthday rather than spending it in the hospital."

Boyce has been diagnosed with Moyamoya Disease, a rare, progressive cerebrovascular disorder. Though the treatment process has been intense and sometimes very difficult – she has undergone a series of brain surgeries since 2009 – Boyce remains committed to pursuing her passions: culinary arts and the Navy. She also is a strident supporter of adaptive athletics programs for wounded warriors, as well as a fierce competitor in the annual Warrior Games, a Paralympic-style athletic event for ill and injured service members.

The Military Leadership Awards were presented by television journalist and best-selling author Rita Cosby, as well as Oliver Mendell, chairman emeritus of the USO, Rear Adm. Michelle Howard Navy, and Miss USA Rima Fakih.

"Never one to be stopped by obstacles in her path, Seaman Boyce was the first Sailor to express interest in the inaugural Warrior Games – this woman is a die-hard," said Cosby. "Seaman Boyce credits training for the Warrior Games with providing her an outlet to challenge herself and reaffirm that she – and not her disease – controls her destiny."

Since her diagnosis in 2008, Boyce has been enrolled in Navy Safe Harbor, which offers non-medical care to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. The program has provided Boyce personalized and dedicated assistance during all phases of her treatment process and will continue to do so throughout her life.

"Judith is a leader among Navy wounded warriors, and we are incredibly honored to support her," said Capt. Bernie E. Carter, director, Navy Safe Harbor. "She helps shine a spotlight on a less visible segment of our enrollment population – Sailors and Coast Guardsmen who grapple with serious illnesses. In her daily fight with her disease, she personifies courage and strength."

In addition to Boyce, the USO of Metropolitan New York presented Military Leadership Awards to Army Staff Sgt. Tannia Carter, Marine Corps Sgt. Sara Bryant, Air Force Capt. Wendy Sue Buckingham, and Coast Guard Petty Officer Bonnie Lynne Wysocki. Also, Linda Parker Hudson, president and CEO of BAE Systems, Inc., and Howard, received 2011 Woman of the Year Distinguished Service Awards.

"The other women recognized during today's ceremony were amazing," said Boyce, who had an opportunity to meet some of them during an intimate dinner hosted by the USO. "It was pretty incredible to listen to each of their stories, and to hear about everything they have overcome and accomplished."

The event also celebrated the 70th anniversary of the USO's founding in 1941. In addition, it helped raised funds for the organization's newest initiative, Operation Enduring Care, a $100 million comprehensive, long-term program to support America's wounded warriors.

Sailors Honor Life and Legacy of First Female CPO

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katrina Parker, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Reserve Component Command Public Affairs

BLAKELY, Penn. (NNS) -- Sailors and distinguished guests honored the life and legacy of the Navy's first female chief petty officer (CPO) during a wreath laying and rededication ceremony at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Blakely, Penn., April 2.

Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Avoca hosted the ceremony to pay tribute to Loretta Perfectus Walsh who was also the first woman to enlist on active duty in the U.S. Navy. She was the first Yeoman F, or "Yeomanette," to enlist in World War I.

"We couldn't pick a better day to honor Chief Walsh's contributions," said Lt. Ronald Fauntleroy, NOSC Avoca commanding officer. "Last month was Women's History Month and yesterday was the 118th birthday for Navy Chiefs. Almost 94 years ago, on March 17, 1917, Loretta Walsh became the first woman to enlist in the Navy. In addition, she was the first female chief. Please take a moment to consider the historic gravity of her enlisted service. She volunteered to serve her country at a time when she wasn't even allowed to vote."

Walsh, like many Americans, had hopes and aspirations to achieve her highest potential. When a fair chance to enlist was presented, she was the first in line.

Now, almost a century after her historic enlistment, there are more than 62,000 women serving in the Navy. Today, nearly every Naval community is open to women, who make vital contributions ashore and afloat. Although long and arduous, the progress for women in the Navy has been persistent and progressive.

Twenty five years after Walsh's enlistment, the Navy commissioned its first female officer; by 1974, the first Navy woman earned her gold wings in Naval Aviation. In 1980, the first class of women graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. By 1990, the first female commanding officer was assigned to command a ship. In 2010, Rear Adm. Nora W. Tyson became the first female to command a carrier strike group.

"This is the legacy that Loretta Perfectus Walsh leaves behind," Fauntleroy said. "She was a pioneer who led the way for many generations of women to follow. It is both a privilege and an honor to recognize her service and the high standards of the Navy that she's lived up to."

Following Fauntleroy's comments, Navy Reservist Lt. Cmdr. Jeanette Bederman laid three roses on the gravesite of Walsh. Each rose represented a Navy core value; honor, courage and commitment.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Senior Chief Yeoman (EXW) Joann Barnes, assigned to the Third Navy Expeditionary Logistics Regiment, Fort Dix, N.J.

"Loretta is a role model," Barnes said. "She was the first. She paved the way for the Yeomanettes. She paved the way for women in the Navy. Loretta is the prime example of what you can do when you set your mind."

Tina Conti-Donovan, the great-grand-niece of Walsh, thanked the members of NOSC Avoca for organizing the ceremony. She said she was overwhelmed by the hospitality shown to her and her family by the Navy.

"It is hard to express how grateful we are to all those within the Navy who have worked to ensure that Loretta's achievements are not forgotten," Conti-Donovan said.

She spoke on behalf of her family, saying they wish for Walsh to always be a person that men and women will look to as a source of pride and strength. She also commented on a dream catcher that was put on Walsh's grave. No one is certain where the memento came from, but it will remain on the grave.

"When we arrived here this morning, my father and I had approached her grave, and I was overtaken by seeing a dream catcher on her gravestone," she said. "I don't know who brought that here, but to me it is a striking symbol and metaphor for Loretta. I think she would be so proud to know that she is someone that women look to with their dreams."

Prior to the ceremony, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick D. West sent a letter to the NOSC Avoca CPO mess to thank them for their unwavering support to keep the memory of Walsh alive.

"I am impressed by the efforts of the chief petty officers of NOSC Avoca to commemorate Loretta's accomplishments," West's letter read. "They are a dedicated group of senior enlisted leaders and are committed to incorporating her inspirational example of leadership and dedication into their program for developing future chiefs. Again, thank you for supporting Loretta's achievements, and your efforts to keep them invigorated for future generations of Sailors. You can be justifiably proud of her and her remarkable accomplishments."

NOSC Avoca Sailors, Walsh family members, the Olyphant and Dickson City American Legion and Friends of the Forgotten participated in the ceremony. The ceremony consisted of the laying of a ceremonial wreath, the playing of taps, a rifle salute by the American Legion and the presentation of the National Ensign to the Walsh Family. The NOSC Avoca CPO mess has committed themselves to continually up keep and maintain the memorial to preserve Walsh's memory.

Flournoy Hails Pioneering Military, Civilian Women

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2011 – The Pentagon’s top civilian policy official said she wouldn’t be in her current position if it weren’t for the many women before her, whom she hailed as “true pioneers.”

That was the message delivered today by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, who spoke at the Joint Services Women’s History Month luncheon held at the Kennedy Caucus Room of the U.S. Senate’s Russell Office Building.

“These women -- uniformed and civilian alike -- have showed the others who followed that it’s possible to be a woman and serve your country with great distinction,” Flournoy said. “And often, they had to overcome great obstacles to do so.”

The luncheon event follows President Barack Obama’s Feb. 28 proclamation designating March as Women’s History Month.

In his proclamation, Obama noted that American women “scale the skies as astronauts, expand our economy as entrepreneurs and business leaders, and serve our country at the highest levels of government and our Armed Forces.”

On Feb. 28, the U.S. Senate approved Concurrent Resolution 8, which recognizes “the importance of women to national defense throughout the history of the United States; and encourages the people of the United States to honor women who have served and who continue to serve the United States in the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Attending today’s luncheon with Flournoy was Undersecretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal, who as the then-acting Army secretary oversaw the May 11, 2001, dedication of the Women’s Army Museum at Fort Lee, Va.

Westphal thanked today’s women serving in the nation’s military services who’ve “given so much of themselves to support and defend our nation and our way of life.”

Flournoy highlighted some of the women who were responsible for significant accomplishments in defense of the United States.

Jeanne M. Holm, who recently passed away at age 88, was a “true pioneer,” Flournoy said, who joined the Army and worked as a silversmith and a truck driver during World War II.

In 1949, Holm joined the U.S. Air Force and went on to become its first female one-star general, and later, the first female two-star in any branch of the armed forces, Flournoy said.

Holm accomplished many things in her life, Flournoy said, noting she’d worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for military women.

During her military career Holm had fought promotion ‘glass ceilings’ and quotas that limited women, Flournoy noted. Holm, she added, had called for women to be admitted to the service academies, to be able to fly as pilots, and claim the same housing and medical and benefits as men did.

“All these things eventually came to pass, and it’s easy for all of us to sit here and take them for granted,” Flournoy said. “But these advances took a lot of hard work and General Holm worked hard to achieve them.”

Another pioneer and role model for military women, she said, is the late retired Navy Rear Adm. [lower half] Grace Marie Hopper. A Naval officer, Hopper became the first woman to receive a restricted line promotion to flag officer in 1983. Known as “Amazing Grace,” Hopper had a doctorate in mathematics from Yale and joined the Navy reserve as an ordnance officer during World War II.

Hopper was involved in early efforts to develop an electronic computer, Flournoy said. Hopper later developed the prototype of the COBOL software programming, which Flournoy described as “a breakthrough that was credited with making computer programming far more accessible than it had been before.”

Civilian women like Sheila E. Widnall also have made great strides serving in leading roles in the defense department, the undersecretary said.

“High on this list was Sheila Widnall -- the only woman yet to receive a full appointment as a service secretary,” Flournoy said, noting that Widnall also had served as a professor and an associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Widnall had served as Secretary of the Air Force between 1993 and 1997 –- the first woman appointed as the Air Force’s senior civilian.

As Air Force secretary, Widnall “oversaw a modernization program during … budgetary constraints, and helped create a more effective acquisition process to ensure America’s continued air superiority,” Flournoy said.

Widnall also paved the way for “more and more” women to serve in leadership roles in the Pentagon, the undersecretary said.

“In today’s Pentagon,” Flournoy said, “women are the secretary of defense’s chief advisers on everything from legislative affairs, to issues and portfolios from Africa to Eurasia, from homeland defense to the global campaign against weapons of mass destruction.”

Talented, courageous women of the past have paved the way for the opportunities, responsibilities and accomplishments available to today’s women leaders, Flournoy said.

“And all of us in turn, I’m sure, will do everything within our power to open doors for the next generation,” she said. “And that next generation will make contributions to our nation’s defense that we cannot even imagine here today.”

DESRON Commander Speaks to Singaporean Students About Leadership, Opportunities

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jerine Lee, Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, spoke about leadership and opportunities to a class of students from National University of Singapore School of Public Policy, Feb. 17, during a port visit to Singapore by USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

Capt. Carol A. Hottenrott, the senior-most female among the nearly 7,000 men and women of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG), spoke about her experiences as a woman in the military and the impact women can have in the world. She also gave the students advice and discussed how to build a successful career without letting gender differences limit one's opportunities.

"It's an honor to give these women an example of possibilities," said Hottenrott. "Opportunities for women are plentiful, and it is wonderful to see how the world is changing and becoming more open-minded."

Many students and faculty attended the session, including Dr. Suzaina Kair, the university's senior lecturer.

"The lecture was so inspiring for me and my students," said Kadir. "Women succeeding in the military and civilian world is still new in Singapore, so hearing what Captain Hottenrott had to say showed us what is necessary for us to succeed. But most importantly, this experience opened doors and showed us that it is possible."

After the lecture, the students were given a tour of the ship's hangar bay, flight deck, bridge and mess decks.

"It was wonderful to see the ship and speak with Capt. Hottenrott," said Kadir. "This was overall, a great experience."

Abraham Lincoln CSG is in the U.S. 7th Fleet's area of responsibility as part of a routine deployment to promote peace, cooperation and stability in the region. The ships of the strike group currently reach all corners of 7th Fleet, from USS Shoup in Australia to USS Halsey underway near Hong Kong, and

USS Cape St. George

visiting Phuket, Thailand.

Abraham CSG consists of flagship USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser

USS Cape St. George

(CG 71), and the embarked DESRON 9. Ships assigned to DESRON 9 include the Everett-based destroyers Momsen (DDG 92) and Shoup (DDG 86), as well as USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sterett (DDG 104).

First female service academy superintendent named

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

Earlier today, the Coast Guard announced that Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz will be the first female Superintendent of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Stosz, currently the Director of Reserve and Leadership, will become the first, and only female to lead a U. S. service academy when she assumes command of USCGA next summer. Today’s announcement came with the release of the 2011 flag officer assignment list, detailing key leadership positions across the service.

“Rear Admiral Stosz has dedicated her career to developing professional Coast Guard men and women,” said Adm. Bob Papp, commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. “We are also extremely proud to be the first service with a woman at the helm of our academy. The Coast Guard has always led by allowing men and women equal access to all career fields and assignments.”

Stosz, a 1982 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, is the first female Coast Guard Academy graduate to achieve the rank of flag officer and is a surface operations officer with 12 years at sea, including command of two cutters – an icebreaking tug on the Great Lakes and a medium endurance cutter that patrolled North Atlantic and Caribbean waters.

The smallest of the five federal service academies, the Coast Guard Academy was the first military service academy to accept women among their Corps of Cadets in 1976, which now includes over 1,000 officers in training.

Mullen Praises Trailblazing Military Women

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2010 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, flanked by two of the nation’s top female military officers, today recounted the early days of women’s integration into the services and said “we would be nowhere as a military” without trailblazing women.

“In combat, in every part of who we are as a military right now, women have been extraordinary,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women summit here today.

Mullen took the stage before an audience of mostly civilian women leaders alongside Gen. Ann Dunwoody, commander of Army Materiel Command, and Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, president of National Defense University.

At the summit’s Leadership Lessons panel moderated by CNN’s Kyra Phillips, the three senior leaders recalled how far the services have come in integrating women since they entered the military - Mullen in 1968, and Rondeau and Dunwoody in 1974 and 1975, respectively.

Mullen recalled serving on the Naval Academy’s admissions board in October 1976 when the academy received a telegram from the White House announcing that women would be permitted to enter the academy in the next academic year. Only one woman served on the admissions board, he recalled, and they would have to move quickly to prepare for the change. The chairman acknowledged it didn’t go smoothly that first year.

“As I look back, I realize now how little I knew about how to integrate women,” Mullen said, adding that he learned from the experience. “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to listen to people and view the situation through their eyes.

“For me, it’s about how we create opportunities, then sink or swim,” he continued. “If the talent pool is there, we need to recognize that and make sure doors stay open.”

Those first female graduates opened doors for others, Mullen said, noting that the military now stays between 20 and 25 percent female. The Navy continues to undergo significant integration efforts, the panelists noted, with the first female submariners chosen last summer, 16 years after women were permitted to serve on surface ships.

“We would be nowhere as a military if someone not had the wisdom to send that telegram way back then, and if we had not had women like this ready to step up when the military wasn’t ready for them and blaze a trail,” Mullen said, referring to Dunwoody and Rondeau.

The Navy’s lack of preparation for integrating women in the 1970s “was pretty profound,” Rondeau said. What that meant for her, she said, was trying to find a mentor she could trust to help her grow, determining where she could make a difference, and knowing which battles to fight.

Asked whether women servicemembers must prove themselves more than men, Rondeau said, “I’m not sure that it is as much about who you are, as where you are, and what you bring to the table. You come with a certain amount of competence and confidence, then you just lead.”

Dunwoody, the military’s first female four-star officer, joined the Army just after the Women’s Army Corps was disbanded. “Our journey was to forge -– and sometimes force -– women into the full spectrum of capabilities,” she said.

For Dunwoody, that meant jumping out of airplanes, doing 12-mile rucksack marches, and commanding troops in war zones, she said. “That’s our journey and our legacy,” she added. “That was the journey we had to build throughout our careers.”

Phillips asked about the evolving role of women in combat and whether women might soon serve in Special Forces. While none of the three would speculate on when law or policy might change in that regard, all acknowledged that women already serve in combat and that the nature of warfare has changed such that the issue will continued to be addressed.

“We are in an asymmetrical environment without front and rear boundaries,” Dunwoody said of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Every soldier is in danger. What’s so good about the military is that we continue review those [policies]. The doors continue to open, and policies continue to change to capture the talent of men and women in uniform. All in battle are making sacrifices, and we can never forget that.”

Military leaders need to assess what has been learned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan regarding women servicemembers, Mullen said. “It’s very important that we take a look at what we’ve learned in these wars and look at whether we should evaluate those policies. Battle is nowhere and it is everywhere right now; everyone is in a combat zone. We’ve got to understand what that means and roll it into the future.”

Rondeau also said she expects laws and policies to evolve to open more doors for women. “We’re putting women on submarines, we’ve had them at sea for a while, and we’ve had them in the air a while,” she said. “You can’t win the current fight without women on the field, and that just is a fact.”

The issue surrounding women in combat roles, Rondeau said, is about not only capabilities, but also mindset. She recalled a time when she was commander of Navy accessions training and a female sailor just out of boot camp went out of her way to ask the commander a question. “Am I ready to fight and win?” the young woman asked Rondeau.

“I’d put her in war any day,” the admiral told the audience. “Being a warfighter is not just about the competence to fight. It’s also about the spirit. A warfighting spirit is something that comes from the heart.”

This article was sponsored by Police Books.

Meet the Authors Discussion and Booksigning—Sept. 23, 2010

Six women authors, five of whom are graduates of the nation’s prestigious military academies, will participate in a discussion and booksigning at the Women’s Memorial on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 23. The program, which is free and open to the public, is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of women graduating from the Academies.

Authors include Coast Guard Reserve CDR Martha LaGuardia-Kotite (USCG Academy 1989); retired Navy CDR Darlene M. Iskra; Sharon Hanley Disher (US Naval Academy 1980); Gail O’Sullivan Dwyer (West Point 1981); Donna McAleer (West Point 1987); and Amy Efaw (West Point 1989). The authors will discuss their books as well as offer their first-hand perspective of the young women who have come of age over the past 30 years at the Service Academies—their contributions to the military and to today’s combat team. The event is co-hosted by the Women’s Research & Education Institute (WREI). To reserve a seat, RSVP by calling 703-533-1155 or email hq@womensmemorial.org. Please include the number attending.  

America Supports You: Women Officers Get Leadership Development Opportunities

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2008 - Women who choose to serve their country as military officers should be fully prepared to do so, and an organization has been working to fulfill that goal since 2003. "We stand behind this belief by providing programs that support and enable women to reach their full potential as leaders," said Susan Feland, president and founder of AcademyWomen. "Each year AcademyWomen hosts a leadership symposium to provide current, former and future women military officers the opportunity to network with like-minded colleagues and grow professionally."

Speakers from the military and the public and private sectors offer their support, personal advice and motivation to the members through keynote addresses and panel discussions.

A career coaching and professional development workshop will preface this year's annual symposium, which is slated for October. These programs provide development opportunities, resources and a chance for discussion that will assist attendees in all stages of their careers, Feland said.

"In the future, AcademyWomen will host podcasts [and] tele-seminar series, which will provide insight into specific career paths, and share stories of success in a particular field," she said.

The group is moving forward swiftly on other technologies to help women military officers develop leadership skills. It's developing an "eMentor" leadership program, and already publishes a quarterly online newsletter.

"Each edition focuses on topics of importance to our members and highlights the accomplishments of military women officers and veterans," Feland said.

AcademyWomen also supports, and plans to conduct, research focusing on the professional development of women officers in the military, their transition to civilian careers, and which professions they choose subsequent to their military service.

The organization is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.