Sgt. Jaimi Diaz, a dog handler with Task Force Military Police, poses for a photograph with her dog, Darrah. Diaz is currently the kennel master in Al Qaim, Iraq, and is running patrols with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.


Nov. 5, 2007
Story ID#: 20071158478

By Gunnery Sgt. Brenda L. Varnadore, II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)

CAMP GANNON, Iraq (Nov. 5, 2007) -- Operation Iraqi Freedom has called on Marines from different military occupational specialties to serve on the frontlines with infantry units. One Long Island, N.Y., native is guiding them on patrols with her dog, Darrah.

Sgt. Jaimi Diaz, the Al Qaim kennel master, Task Force Military Police, is currently working with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, as a dog handler. She runs dismounted patrols with the unit to look for improvised explosive devices while balancing her duties in the kennel.

“As a canine handler, I go out and clear routes for convoys and patrols to go through or we do reconnaissance and quick reaction force,” said the 2003 Hampton Bays High School graduate. “And as a kennel master, I get to oversee the Marines and make sure they are getting the right training.”

Diaz, who is on her first deployment, volunteered to leave her unit in Okinawa, Japan, to fill a yearlong individual augment billet. She began her assignment at Camp Fallujah where she served for five months as the senior dog handler. She was then sent to Al Qaim, on the Syrian border, to take over the role of kennel master and said she is learning a great deal.

“You work harder when you know people believe in you and know you can do the job. All my (staff noncommissioned officers) had confidence in me as the senior guy because right now I am in charge of six other handlers, one Navy, at the kennels in Al Qaim,” said Diaz. “I have a lot of interaction with the command. When you are a junior Marine you really do not know why are doing this, you don’t know what is going on, you wonder where you are going next. But being the senior guy, you actually find out what everyone is doing, why they are doing it and how you play a part.”

Although Diaz left her husband, Sgt. Christopher Diaz, in Okinawa with her 2-year-old son Jeremy, she still calls back regularly to seek his advice on how to live up to the expectations and how to support the units to the best of her ability.

“I enjoy talking to him about things because I do not feel stupid asking him questions because he has the same job as me and understands,” she said. “He was in Ramadi during 2005 so he can answer questions I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking someone else.”

She also relies heavily on her dog to keep the Marines she is supporting safe. She has had Darrah for more than a year and a half and brought her from Okinawa. Although she is the dog’s third handler, she said they have bonded well.

“When you first hear about canines and hear all this stuff they can do, you really don’t believe it,” said Diaz. “But once you see it, you definitely realize how amazing they are.”

One of the most important aspects of keeping the Marines she works with safe is making sure her dog is up to the task.

“I have been doing it for three years so it is easier for me to tell if there is something wrong with my dog and know how to fix it,” said Diaz. “And if I can’t fix it, there are definitely people that can help me out. It is all about the training that you do and how often and how much dedication you actually have. If you spend the time in it, you will have a dog that you can have complete confidence in because you know that lives depend on it.”

Diaz doesn’t think being a female plays a part in getting her job done though. She said that everyone has accepted her and treats her as just another Marine in the unit. Since being attached to an infantry battalion is rare for a female, she is trying to show them that females can do exactly what the males are doing.

“I really have had no problems,” she said. “I love working with the guys, and they have accepted me and Darrah as if we were always there.”

Diaz is looking forward to returning back to her family and job in Okinawa in three months. She said she plans on applying for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Program to become an officer.

Labels: 1-4 Marines, Al Qaim, Camp Gannon, Iraq, military working dog, photos, USMC, women in the military

By Staff Sgt. C.G. Maldonado
Florida National Guard Public Affairs

CAMP BLANDING, Fla., March 30, 2007 — Two Florida National Guard soldiers are making history as the first women to become Avenger crewmembers, a military occupational specialty restricted to males until last October.

Spc. Sorimar Perez, 32, and Spc. Amanda Landers, 25, are assigned to C Battery, 1st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery, in Daytona Beach. Both are training at the Regional Training Institute here and are expected to graduate April 2.

"I'm excited and feel privileged to have this opportunity. So far, it's been very enjoyable. I wouldn't change it if I could," said Landers.

Originally from West Virginia and now residing in Port Orange, Landers joined the Ohio National Guard in 2000 while attending college there. In 2004, she deployed to Iraq as a truck driver.

"I transferred to Daytona in December. There were no positions available for me in my MOS so I had to find a new one. Then this opportunity came up and I thought it would be a good experience," said Landers.

The Avenger system is a lightweight, highly mobile and transportable surface-to-air missile/gun weapons system. It provides mobile, short-range air-defense protection against air and land attacks.

To graduate in their new specialty, Landers and Perez must complete two phases of training. "Phase one teaches the basic components that go along with the Avenger system," said Master Sgt. Edwin Wilson, Regional Training Institute branch manager.

During phase one, Landers and Perez learned to operate global positioning-devices, radio systems and other small devices used peripherally with the Avenger. They also became familiar with the Stinger missile and the skill-level tasks they need to know according to their rank.

Landers and Perez are now in phase two, learning the operation, maintenance and configurations of the big components of the Avenger, as well as seeing how the things they learned during phase one fit into this final phase.

"Overall, they have a 96.7 grade-point average. They are doing everything that the males are doing and are pulling their own weight," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Porter, a course manager at the institute.

The change in specialty has not been hard for Perez. "I've been a mechanic for seven years, so I'm used to working with men," she said. Her daring disposition and not being scared of doing "a man's job" are qualities that she thinks helped her get selected for the Avenger training.

Perez moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando seven years ago. "I've always had an inclination for the military and finally made up my mind to join the Florida National Guard at 28, in 2004." She said a fellow soldier convinced her that she could handle the demands of becoming an Avenger crewmember.

Both women intend to make a career in the Florida National Guard.

"I like the Florida National Guard," said Perez. "I want to make my 20 years and give a better life to my son and my mom." In addition to her duties as a Guard member, Perez works full-time as a manager at an auto parts store.

Landers has been in the Guard for more than six years and just re-enlisted for six more.

"I work (full-time) in accounting and I enjoy that, but I like the military because I get to do more hands-on stuff. My goal is to stay in the Guard until retirement."

Being the first females to graduate from this course opens many possibilities for Landers and Perez. Deployment as Avenger crewmembers is one.

And according to Wilson, there is another. "They could potentially become the first female Avenger instructors at the (Regional Training Institute) and the Army if they wanted to."

Labels: Florida National Guard, women in the military

Story Number: NNS070328-16
Release Date: 3/28/2007 5:17:00 PM

Special release from Naval District Washington Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The last surviving female World War I veteran, Charlotte Winters, died March 27 in Boonsboro, Md. She was 109 years old.

Winters served in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a yeoman, including service at a gun production facility at the Washington Navy Yard. She continued to work for the Navy in Washington until her retirement in 1953.

The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 enabled the Navy to begin enlisting women in mid-March 1917. Nearly 600 were on duty by the end of April 1917. That number grew to more than 11,000 by December 1918, shortly after the armistice. These women were popularly known as "Yeomanettes."

They all held enlisted ranks and served in support positions, mainly secretarial and clerical, and almost all served in the U.S. Many worked in government and naval offices, in defense companies and hospitals. They were all released from active duty in July 1919. Two of them ultimately became Naval officers in the Reserve, Capt. Joy Bright Hancock and Lt. Eunice Whyte.

Funeral services will be held March 30 in Boonsboro, Md., with interment to follow at the Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Frederick, Md.

The U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard will present military honors during the interment ceremony.



The Naval Historical Center has further information on the "Yeomanettes" at www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/females/yeoman-f.htm.

For more news from around the fleet, visit http://www.navy.mil/.

Labels: Veterans Affairs, women in the military

By Spc. Carl N. Hudson
Combined Press Information Center

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, March 26, 2007 — The 615th “Cold Steel” Aviation Support Battalion hosted a Women’s History Month celebration here March 19.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Holly Cook, 1st Cavalry Division staff judge advocate, and “Suzan,” an Iraqi woman and lawyer whose full identity was withheld for security reasons, served as guest speakers for the celebration in support of the “Generations of Women Moving History Forward” theme.

The celebration observed American women who struggled for equality throughout history and their accomplishments, which were compared to the same struggles today’s Iraqi women face.

“Although circumstances may be getting better, there is still a battle raging, pushing through hundreds of years of tradition,” said Suzan.

“No one in the military accomplishes anything because we are women or men, black or white or Hispanic,” Cook said. “We make things happen because we are soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.”

Today, many women are serving next to men who are all fighting for democracy in Iraq.

There are more than 350,000 women serving in the U.S. military which is 15 percent of active duty personnel. One in

every seven troops serving in Iraq is a woman, said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Hirschinger, commander of 615th ASB. Suzan’s speech, the highlight of the celebration, talked about hardships the Iraqi women face each day.

“Traditions and customs have the essential role of controlling the Iraqi woman’s personality and have caused the loss of her identity,” she said. “She was torn between accepting those traditions and customs or rejecting them.”

While the current way of life has kept Iraqi women out of sight, a new hope of equality was slowly rising.

Under the Coalition Provincial Authority, the new Iraqi military hired the first squad of 20 female soldiers in July 2003.

“This is the reality; we need female (Iraqi) soldiers,” said Iraqi Army Brig. Gen. Jaleel Khalaf, an early commander of Iraqi Army 1st Brigade. “If I had the power of hiring, I’d have a female battalion.”

According to Suzan, the top reason Iraqi women were losing freedoms was because of terrorism and its ideals which limit the role of women in Iraqi society.

While progress to bring freedom to Iraq continues, the mission is not over, said Suzan. There should not be any rest until it is completed.

Labels: Iraqi Army, Iraqi women, women in the military

By Spc. Courtney Marulli
2nd Brigade Combat Team
2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, March 1, 2007 — Women throughout history have faced many barriers such as not being able to vote, get a secondary education, hold a government position or work in combat arms. But with time, many of these restrictions have crumbled because women are willing to go the extra mile.

One such woman is Pfc. Evelyn Williams of Temple Hills, Md., the only woman in the Personal Security Detachment for the command group of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Her role isn't one of support, but rather one of combat, as Williams is a 7.62 mm machine gun operator. This role isn't something that surprised Williams, as she would have been a gunner if she had stayed with her military police company.

She sits in the turret of the lead vehicle and takes her position seriously. She must keep a sharp eye for snipers, grenade attacks, suicide bombers, and improvised explosive devices.

"Basically, I feel if something happened, I would be responsible because I am the eyes for all the vehicles," Williams said.

Even though she keeps a sharp eye and had safe ventures into sector, Williams still gets nervous when she goes on a mission because she knows it's her responsibility to keep everyone safe.

"If I don't see an IED or call it and it hits another vehicle, I would feel responsible," she said.

If her eye catches even the smallest thing that seems suspicious, she calls down to her noncommissioned officers, because it may be something serious. With the abundance of litter and debris lining the sides of the roads and alley ways, Williams said it can be difficult to notice a serious threat from regular garbage.

She is grateful for the support she has received from her team.

Fellow soldiers took her in as one of their own, Williams said. She hasn't had any problems being the only woman, and was accepted immediately.

"I enjoy being the only female," she said. "If I hear 'only female,' I feel special."

Although, Williams is manning a deadly weapon, going out of the wire also appeals to her softer side.

Seeing Iraqi youth while on patrol is her favorite part of leaving the wire, which she does on an almost daily basis. She also enjoys seeing the Iraqi people do their part to help such as clearing paths or helping direct people to the sides so the vehicles can go through.

Joining the Army was something Williams always wanted to do and choosing her job was natural, as she wanted to be a police officer in the civilian world. In college, she was taking college courses in criminal justice and passed the test to become a police officer.

However, she was required to wait six months while background checks were conducted, and that was just too long a wait, so she joined the Army.

Her desire to be in law enforcement stems from her desire to help children, stop domestic abuse, and combat drugs. She is also passionate about stopping people from drinking and driving.

Williams, who has been in the Army for 13 months, enjoys her work but looks forward to returning to her husband and two children.

"I have kids," she said. "They need me."

Labels: 2BCT, 2ID, PSD, US Army, women in the military