Beautiful. Unique. Wild. Untamed. Bold. These are the words that come to mind when I think of who a Military Diva is. In order for the bond of Sisterhood to strengthen and grow, every Woman that has served and is currently serving in the ranks need to understand that they HAVE to break the societal mold that was placed upon us. She has to be unafraid to live “outside the military box” and let people see her as she authentically is: a force of nature.
For the past 20 years, I have been proud to have the title of being a Soldier. During my time, I have worn multiple uniforms and have worn many hats. Alongside those many changes, I’ve noticed a troubling trend focused on Women across all branches. There seems to be a huge misconception out there that we can’t “cut it” when it comes to serving our Country. It bothers me to see Ladies (and sometimes myself) change our attitude and even outer appearance to show that we are “a part of the pack”. What makes matters worse is the unnecessary harsh judgement I would witness other Female Soldiers give each other when they believe another Female Soldier wasn’t adhering to the military “Standard”. Instead of mentoring and encouraging her Sister, that Soldier would verbally and professionally berate her, diminishing her self-worth and making her feel devalued. Her motivation to effectively lead other Women would then be gone. Because of this, the opportunity to create a strong bond within our community is lost.
Having witnessed and experienced these type of incidents for myself, I vowed to never allow that to happen again on my watch. It is my desire that every Female that is wearing a uniform know that she is worthy and that she should be proud of her military journey. I want my Sister-in-Arms to understand that she has someone who has her back and that whatever the circumstances, she has a community of military Women that will support her in her journey. But how do we build and strengthen that sisterhood? That is a question I have asked myself multiple times over the years. I believe that this series will take you thru the necessary steps in that process. So sit back, relax and let’s begin……
