Women of the Military

www.foundationforwomenwarriors.org
Instagram

Instagram

Twitter

Foundation for Women Warriors:

Twitter
Facebook

Related Episodes:

Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up – Episode 87

Serving in Iraq (the Kickoff, the Surge, the Drawdown) – Episode 32

West Point to Iraq – Beyond the Point – Episode 19

Read the full transcript here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

An Invisible Combat Veterans Story - Episode 90 Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Her first assignment was to Landstuhl, Germany. As a medic, she worked inpatient care and when there would be a demand for medics due to war casualties, they would be sent to the ER to take care of the service members coming in from Iraq and Afghanistan. It was high paced and she saw the injuries and casualties of war first hand. But she was part of the team and was doing her job.

Then she was sexually assaulted and suffered a head injury during the assault. She didn’t want to tell anyone about the incident and threw away her sheets before going to work the next day. She wasn’t planning to tell anyone, but four weeks later she found out she was pregnant. She sent home on leave for a month and was convinced to not keep the baby. She tried to move forward with her life and ended up getting married and having a baby girl. About 8 months after her daughter was born, she attempted to commit suicide. She went to the mental health ward and in her attempt to tell the mental health professional what she was dealing with she was shut down.

When she transitioned out of the military she planned to be a military spouse and didn’t advocate for herself or take advantage of the resources to veterans because she thought she would have the resources through her husband’s service as a dependent. Shortly after leaving her husband was accused of sexual assault and was sent to jail and await a trial. He was the only income provider and he stopped receiving pay so they didn’t have any money.

She moved off base and tried to find a job. Her mother-in-law took the kids and she ended up starting to use drugs and was in and out of jail three times before finally realizing she had to make a change. She moved back to California, went to Veterans Affairs, and started to use her GI Bill while also working to help other veterans.

Since then she has turned her life around and has a BS and Masters and works full time as a social worker. She also continues to help veterans through her new organization Invisible Veteran.

Currently, it does not hold a non-profit status, she does mostly volunteer work and uses her own resources and support from local organizations. However, they are considering obtaining Non-Profit status in order to provide a wider range of supportive resources and mental health workshops for female service members and mental health supports locally.

She is currently in the development stages of her website. It will showcase her mental health research, as well as the stories in which she uses her experiences and those of the collective female voice through military culture and mental health theoretical lenses to help increase the discussions about mental health and military culture. It will help identify the gaps that can lead to things like veteran homelessness, mental health challenges, incarceration, and suicide.

She also has a local committee she is starting in Fresno, CA to help better collaborate with local organizations supporting female veterans and bring relevant awareness, empowerment, and transformation to my sisters in arms here in her town.

Connect with Kim:

www.invisiblecombat.com

Instagram

Invisible Combat Online Support group

Related Episodes:

Surviving Military Sexual Trauma in the Navy – Episode 26

Serving in the Coast Guard and Military Sexual Trauma – Episode 18

Overcoming PTSD and what is next – Episode 11

Read the full transcript here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-r-mercer

Graduate Debt Free with an ROTC scholarship - Episode 89 Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

This episode was made possible by Foundation For Women Warriors. Foundation for Women Warriors (FFWW) is a unique support organization created exclusively for the women veteran community. They provide essential programs to enhance the economic and personal wellbeing ofwomen veterans and their families. Originally established in 1920 to serve widows, war nurses, and mothers of fallen service members, Foundation for Women Warriors is celebrating their 100 year anniversary. FFWW honors the service of women veterans by empowering their future through financial assistance, childcare assistance and professional development. If you want to learn more about Foundation for Women Warriors and how to get involved head to their website foundationforwomenwarriors.org

In this episode we covered all of Naomi’s career. She served in the Army and joined via ROTC which she learned about while she was in college. It allowed her to graduate debt free and she headed into active duty in 1994. She moved around the country and the world. Serving overseas in Japan and Kuwait.

She was given the opportunity to get her masters and then work at West Point, which later led to her getting her PhD with a three year follow on to teach at West Point.

She was married to another service member for a brief period and they found dual military challenging as they were not able to be stationed together. They had a daughter and because he was not with them, she was essentially as single parent.

When she deployed her ex-husband was already deployed and her best friend took in her daughter and her daughter remembers spending a year with her cousins and had the support she needed. She is grateful her daughter was so young and didn’t notice that her mom was gone.

Lastly, we covered her transition out the of the military. She was remarried and her husband needed to be in a big city for his remote job. Her daughter was in high school and didn’t want to transfer schools again. So, they wanted to stay in the DC area. With two years of planning and focusing on discovering herself and finding the right job, not just a job she was able to make a successful transition out of the military.

She has so much advice for those looking to join the military or for those planning to leave the military behind.

Bio: Naomi Mercer (she/her, they/them) is Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the American Bankers Association. She recently transitioned from military career where she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Philosophy at the United States Military Academy and in the Pentagon running the Army’s gender integration and religious accommodation programs. She is the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for her service in a combat theater of war and the Legion of Merit for her 25 years of service to the nation. Her educational background includes a doctorate in Literary Studies with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an Executive Certificate in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. She is the author of the academic monograph, Toward Utopia (2015).

Connect with Naomi:

Mentioned in this Episode:

Solider for Life Program

USO Programs

Reserve Officer Training Corps Program (need to create a blog post offering information about ROTC)

Related Episodes:

Challenges Face By Single Moms in the Army – Episode 46

Being a Single Mother in the Army – Episode 35

From the Halls of West Point to Iraq – Episode 38

Read the full transcript here.

Thank you Pateron members for your support. Want early access to episodes, ad-free content, and one on one mentorship advice. Become a Patreon member today! Click here.

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Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

Facebook: Career Military Spouses Group

From Military Service to Military Spouse - Episode 88 Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

This episode was made possible by my Patreon supporters! Sign up in the month of August to get a free copy of Brave Women Strong Faith!

Charlene joined American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA) in 2015 as supervisor of the Survivor Assistance team. In her role as Assistant Secretary, she works closely with the Chief Operating Officer in managing AAFMAA’s life insurance business with a focus on contracting, support services, and information technology. Charlene is a Veteran of the United States Army Chemical Corps serving six years including a company command position. She is also a current active duty military spouse and has the distinction of being AAFMAA’s first female officer.

Charlene grew up in a military family and struggled with what to do in college. That is where she learned about the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). She had heard of ROTC before college, but thought you needed to be a nurse or a man to serve, and since she didn’t fit either of those categories didn’t think about the option of joining the military. When she found out about the options available through ROTC she joined and found the structure and organization she was looking for.

She served in the Chemical Corps, starting at Fort Hood in Texas, then she went to Captain’s career course. While she was there September 11th happened. She was slated to go to Korea and initially tried to change course so she could be ready to respond. But ended up going to Korea per the needs of the Army and met her husband while being stationed there. They got married in Korea so they could get stationed together and she became an instructor at Aberdeen Proving Ground. It was there she decided to leave the military behind and become a stay at home mom.

She stayed at home for 10 years, partly because she was overseas and there were not a lot of options. And when she came back stateside, she decided to dive back into the workforce. She used resources available on the Army post and the USO. She was able to get a job at AAFMAA which fulfilled her calling to serve others and make an impact.

Mentioned in this episode:

Facebook: Milspouse Entrepreneur Group

USO Pathfinders

AAFMAA

Related Episodes:

Weapons System Officer in the Air Force – Episode 71

Serving as an Officer in the Marine Corps – Episode 51

From the Halls of WestPoint to Iraq – Episode 38

Read the full transcript here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

Are you starting a business or needing help in the next step of your business check out the Ministry to Business Guide here.

Do you feel like a bad mom because you are losing your temper? Listen to Lisa Jo Baker talk about three reasons why having a bad day doesn’t make you a bad mom and then find tools on how to prevent those bad days from happening. Check out the Temper Tool Kit here.

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Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

www.lauracolbert.com/blog

Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up - Episode 87 Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

This podcast is sponsored by the Ministry to Business Guide! Get your copy for $29 today!

What was it like to deploy to Iraq as the war kicked off? Laura was the first wave of the invasion after the Marines. She talked about the whole experience in her book Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up that is based on the journal she kept while deployed overseas.

Post contains affiliate links

In this interview we covered Laura joining the National Guard in March of 2001. She was going to college so she was part of a program where she went to boot camp in the summer. She had completed boot camp and was drilling on weekends in the National Guard when September 11th happened. She continued to go to school and then was sent to her military police officer training the summer of 2002. By the end of Jan 2003, her unit was informed she would be activated to active duty and deploy to Iraq. We talked about the challenge of having to quit school for a year and a half and deploying to Iraq. They were the first wave after the Marines. And initially, the Iraqis were happy for the American liberation force, but after six months the Iraqis feelings toward the Americans changed and it became a lot more dangerous with mortar attacks, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and ambushes. One of the hardest weeks of her deployment was the week a fellow soldier died and they also were told they were being extended, after being less than two weeks away from coming home.

She came home and felt lucky to have been unscathed. But a year later at Sgt School during a simulated war game she started to have panic attacks and although she was able to finish and graduate Sgt School she continued to struggle with PTSD. We talked about how PTSD makes us feel and how she still has moments when she struggles today. She wants to talk about her story through her book and giving presentations at the school to help people know about what people have done for our country.

When she was asked what advice, she would give young women about joining the military she said, it has to be a decision you make for yourself. The military isn’t for everyone. And although there are some good parts of the military, you need to be 100% committed if you sign up to serve.

Connect with Laura (contains affiliate links):

Her book: Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up

Twitter

Mentioned in this episode:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Deployment

Related Episodes:

Episode 7: The Struggle of Coming Home From War

Episode 11: Overcoming PTSD and What’s Next

Episode 45: Overcoming Adversity in the Army

Read the full transcript here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

Are you starting a business or needing help in the next step of your business check out the Ministry to Business Guide here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

Brave Women, Strong Faith - Episode 86 Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

This episode was made possible by my Patreon supporters!

This week on the podcast I wanted to share stories from 3 of the authors for Brave Women, Strong Faith. Sometimes as a military spouse I feel like an outsider and one of the reasons I am so excited about this book is there is a whole section of the book dedicated to military spouses who are also veterans. I was worried my story wouldn’t fit and I wasn’t sure how it would come together. But it has highlighted the challenge of being both a military spouse and veteran. With five women in total sharing their stories within the book.

I already interview Sherry Eifler on the Women of the Military Podcast for Episode 37. She has two chapters in Brave Women Strong Faith and the second chapter is focused on being a military spouse and veteran. Megan Harless is also a veteran and military spouse contributor. She is an advocate for helping improve moving from base to base.

This week I got to chance to talk to Laura Schofield, Richelle Futch, and Danielle Whalen. In this episode, we covered stories from military servicemember to military spouse life. We discussed how we got involved in the Brave Women Strong Faith project and what the military meant to us.

Brave Women Strong Faith built a community among military spouses where we met new friends and have been able to support and encourage each other along the way. I loved when Laura talked about having “battle buddies again.” It is true, this community has given us that sense of support where we are a team working to share the stories of military women.

I’m proud to be an author for Brave Women, Strong Faith. Order your copy today! Click here.

Connect with the authors:

Danielle Whalen is a self proclaimed “King’s Daughter” who loves the Lord, cherishes her family, and is passionate about uplifting others to know their true value in God! With over 15 years of professional experience in crisis intervention gained by serving as a Masters Level Clinical Social Worker, nine year Coast Guard veteran, spouse of a 21 year Coast Guard retiree, and ministry leader for Celebrate Recovery, Danielle is dedicated to bridging the disparities of mental health and spiritual wellness through writing, speaking, and Christian counseling. Her writing and speaking experience was developed early on through the U.S. Coast Guard as a trained team facilitator, senior mentor, and training coordinator for staff members. She is now dedicated to use these skills for exhortation and discipleship http://www.DanielleWhalen.org

http://www.richellefutch.com

Richelle Futch is a Marine Corps Veteran now Mental Health Counselor and Army spouse. She is a homeschooling mom of three. And the creator of Her Ruck: Unpacking Your Emotional Ruck for Military Spouses.

Instagram

Laura Schofield served in the Washington Army National Guard for 18 months until she was medically discharged from military service. Currently she is a Marine Corps Military Spouse, homeschooling mama, and writer.

http://www.myquietsmalllife.com

Mentioned in this Episode:

Speak Up Conference

What Does Military Service Mean?

Milspoco.com

Military Sexual Trauma

Related Episodes:

Transitioning from the Guard isn’t the Same – Episode 59

Military Spouse to Active Duty and Back Again – Episode 24

Helping others after service – Episode 44

Read the full transcript here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

Are you starting a business or needing help in the next step of your business check out the Ministry to Business Guide here.

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Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

Podcast Manage Money Build Wealth

The Challenge of Officer Candidate School in the Army - Episode 85 Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Are you starting a business or needing help in the next step of your business check out the Ministry to Business Guide here.

Gwendolyn Jules served in the US Army from November 1990 to December 2012, started out as an enlisted Private (E2) 71L-Administrative Specialist and retired a Major (O4) Logistician. Became a mother four months after retiring, got my MBA, and began researching how to have an online information marketing business so that I could have the flexibility to travel with my husband who was still in the military. Currently, she produces a weekly podcast called "Manage Money Build Wealth" where I talk about how my military career was my mode of transportation to reach Financial Independence and Retire Early (FIRE). And now she wants to help other women reach FIRE and have peace along their financial journey.

In this episode, we talk about her joining the Army Reserves while in high school because she needed money for school clothes. The reality of what the military was all about and making the transition from Reserves to Active Duty. Going overseas and working on her degree. Getting to the rank of E-6 and determining that becoming an officer was the next right step. The challenge and struggle of Officer Candidate School (OCS). We also covered her deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. And ended with how she met her husband and becoming a mom after transition out of the military.

She tells young women to join the military if they are interested in it, but they should also realize the benefits come at a cost and the mission always comes first. If you are not ready to do the mission you should not join the military.

Connect with Gwendolyn:

http://managemoneybuildwealth.libsyn.com/website
Instagram
Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 59: Transitioning isn’t the same

Episode 43: Joining the Army While Still in High School

Episode 46: Enlisted to Officer (Danielle Kilian)

Do you want to hear more stories of military women? Check out my book Women of the Military! I share 28 stories of military women from women joining the military, currently serving and those who have left the military behind.

This episode was made possible by my Patreon supporters! Sign up in the month of July and August to get a free copy of Brave Women Strong Faith!

Read the full transcript here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

We recently started investing in the stock market, get two free stocks when you create your Webull Account today! Click here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

http://www.rememberrally.org

Vietnam Era Veteran - Episode 84 Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

This episode was made possible by my Patreon supporters! Sign up in the month of July and August to get a free copy of Brave Women Strong Faith!

Diane Sherwood served in the Air Force and she is a Vietnam Era veteran. She was a Jet Engine Mechanic on F-111 fighter jets. She was stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. She loved the west so much that she moved to Boise, 50 miles from the base, when she got out and lived in Boise for many years. After being in Idaho for 20 years, my daughter & she moved back to Minnesota where she was born. She currently works as a waitress so I have flexible time to work on my non-profit organization. She started the Remember Rally after 9/11 and we do events to honor military and first responders. Our current project and goal is to build a Veterans Memorial in her hometown of Luverne, MN.

Diane decided to join the military because it sounded interesting. When she joined there were not a lot of options open to women, but while at bootcamp she was given the option to switch from being a dental assistant to a mechanic. It sounded like fun so she did it.

She loved being a mechanic even being the only female in her shop she did not face challenges. She even decided she wanted to work on the flight line and the base worked to figure out how a woman could work on the flight line since it had never been done before. She worked on F-111 jets and was responsible for the engine. On the flight line she would run the pre-flight safety check and get the engine started. She absolutely loved everything about her job.

She left the military after her first enlistment, ready to try something new. She didn’t get involved in the veteran community until September 11th happened. It lit something inside of her that she wanted to help those who sacrificed so much during and after the events of September 11th. She is continuing to work to build a memorial in her hometown of Luverne, MN.

Connect with Diane:

A Female Vietnam Veteran – Episode 5

Related Episodes:

Climbing the Ranks to Brigadier General – Episode 65

Women Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice – Episode 75'

Read the full transcript here.

Do you love hearing the stories of military women? Support Women of the Military Podcast by becoming a Patreon member! For as little as $1/month you can help support the podcast! Sign up here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.

https://www.veterans.veteransascend.com
www.facebook.com/veteransascend
www.linkedin.com/company/veteransascend
www.instagram.com/veteransascend

An Unexpected End to a Navy Career Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

This episode was made possible by my Patreon supporters! Sign up in the month of July and August to get a free copy of Brave Women Strong Faith!

Robyn Grable is the chief executive officer of Veterans ASCEND, which she founded in 2018 to bring veterans and employers together, improving corporate bottom lines as well as the lives of America’s service heroes and their families.
Her unwavering commitment to veteran employment is well-served by her corporate and military experience, including more than 30 years of private sector human resources after nine years of service in the U.S. Navy. Her ongoing study of America’s veteran workforce have made her a leading voice on the barriers and keys to success for their employment. She is a seasoned speaker and media resource, earning respect and praise from her peers.
A native of Richmond, Indiana, Robyn holds a master’s in psychology focused on Leadership Coaching. Her capstone project during her graduate studies emphasized coaching military veterans during their transition back to the civilian workforce. Committed to giving back, Robyn has volunteered for American Red Cross, The MS Society, United Way, March of Dimes, Upstate Warrior Solution, IVMF Mentor Program, and Veterans Treatment Court. She is a member of SHRM and serves on the Workforce Readiness Council of the Greenville SHRM chapter.
Today she is focused entirely on ensuring veterans are recognized for their skills, valued for their talent and that America’s employers realize the full value and skills of America’s heroes, poised in the civilian workforce to truly ascend.
A recruiter came to Robyn’s high school and she saw the Navy as her ticket out of her small town and decided to join the military. It was 1979 and during the Cold War. People didn’t understand or want women in the military and she found that to be a challenge. When it came time to pick her career field nine out of the ten jobs she wanted were not available to her because her gender. She ended up picking Data Processing and it was a good career field for her while she was in Iceland. In Iceland she met her future husband and had to move to Florida for a year before being stationed with her husband in Maine.

Shortly after getting stationed together her daughter was born. Her husband had just come home from deployment, they were finally living together and she was adjusting to being a mom. And it was difficult, but they were able to make it work and she was able to segment her life in the military and her job as a mom. When they got orders to Pearl Harbor she asked to be assigned to a ship. At the time, women could not be on a ship with dependents. She would have had to give up legal custody of her daughter to do this. And this wasn’t something she was willing to do. Nor was it a requirement for her male counterparts. She decided to become an officer so she could change the military. She got her package together and in the end her package wasn’t even opened by the board. This crushed her. At the same time, she hadn’t signed her reenlistment paperwork before she left for training and decided after that event, she was ready to leave the Navy behind.

Because of that error she didn’t have a plan to leave the military. She didn’t get any help with her transition and she made her way to Florida to start her new life. She walked away from the military and her veteran community. It was 22 years later that she got connected with the military veteran community.

Connect with Robyn:

Mentioned in this Episode:

A Girls Guide to the Military

Related Episodes:

From Navy to Entrepreneurship – Episode 27

From the Navy to the Air Force – Episode 15

Giving Back After Service to Find Healing – Episode 56

Read the full transcript here.

Do you want to hear more stories of military women? Check out my book Women of the Military! I share 28 stories of military women from women joining the military, currently serving and those who have left the military behind.

Do you love hearing the stories of military women? Support Women of the Military Podcast by becoming a Patreon member! For as little as $1/month you can help support the podcast! Sign up here.

Affiliate Support:

Are you trying to decide what you are going to do as a parent for the upcoming school year? I'm diving into homeschooling, but I'm getting support. Check out the Clever Kid Curriculum here.

Resources:

Signed copies of A Girl's Guide to Military Service

Girl's Guide to Military Service available where books are sold.