DAEGU, South Korea –
Editor's note: This year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Nevertheless She Persisted” and honors women who are committed to ending discrimination against women and girls and work with strength, tenacity and courage to overcome obstacles and achieve joyful accomplishments. Throughout the month of March, DLA Energy will highlight a few employees who go to great strides to embody this spirit.
What is your job title, and what do you do? As the Defense Logistics Agency Energy Korea commander, I lead a joint and combined logistics command comprised of U.S. Army and Air Force military members, Department of Defense civilians and Korean National employees. Together, we develop and execute plans to store and distribute fuel in support of United States Forces Korea. Day to day, I explain warfighter requirements to DLA and explain DLA to the warfighter.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself about the future? Your definition of service to the nation unfolds when you have children. Being a good Mom and being a good military professional requires tough trade-offs. Ask yourself, “What can only you do as a mom, leader…?” Prioritize your limited time on those answers, and be willing to accept a longer time horizon to realize your professional potential. Meeting the needs of your children, the future of our country, does not always neatly align with military timelines.
As a woman, have you encountered discrimination based on race and ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status? As a child, I experienced disability-based discrimination due to a hereditary eye condition. In overcoming this adversity, I learned to never let myself become a victim. My military experience has reinforced this life lesson, where rewards are based on merit. In terms of workplace discrimination, I believe when the Army or other profession adheres to its values and standards, soldiers gain trust in their chains of command and society maintains trust in our military institution. However, just as our founders designed three equal branches of government to create checks and balances, so too must the military establish accountability measures to mitigate any potential abuse of power.
Have you had a mentor that helped you grow in your career? I have sought an array of mentors from the military, academia, U.S. interagency, international organizations, and non-profit sector. I grow when I learn from those with different perspectives and backgrounds. However, my strongest mentor network is from my time at West Point. To this day, I value their wise counsel and can call them at any time. Nine years after graduating West Point, I returned as an instructor and had the chance to mentor young cadets. First hand, I showed female and male cadets the daily challenges of balancing motherhood, profession and a deployed spouse.
How are you paying forward in terms of mentoring? One way I strike a balance between family and profession is to consciously choose opportunities to invest in our youth. In Korea, my youth volunteer activities have included teaching Sunday School and Awana, co-leading a Brownie troop, assisting with the base’s Child and Youth Services swim program, and speaking with DoD Education Activity clubs focused on female empowerment. These investments not only serve the military, but also the military family community.