HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Influential female U.S. Air Force leaders, as well as the 1st Special Operations Support Squadron commander, held a Women’s History Month panel here on March 31st to reflect on the specific challenges women in the Armed Forces have faced and the strides they have made for future generations.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it is important to take the time to reflect on the progress women have made in the U.S. Air Force in recent decades and the challenges they still face.
The panel group, made up of seasoned female leaders in the U.S. Air Force said the changes made in the last few decades are tangible. Other leaders here also provided their experience and input outside of the panel.
“Having grown up in a career field with very few women, I learned how to navigate that environment from the get-go,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Allison Black, 1 Special Operations Wing commander. “That has been the case throughout my entire 30 years.”
During her early years as an enlisted Airman in the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist career, Black faced not only the challenge of being a woman in a male-dominated field, but also an internal struggle of feeling adequate and respected.
“I was young, I didn’t know the military in and out, and I didn’t know who I really was as a person yet,” said Black. “I was still learning my job, so I was pretty insecure, and I learned right at that moment that actions speak louder than words.”
Other major challenges faced by women in today’s force relate to a work-life balance.
“Mom guilt! Balancing the requirements of a demanding career with the requirements of motherhood is tough for me,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kristina Higdon, Airey NCOA Commandant at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. “I love my career and always wanted to be the best I could be, but I constantly felt a tug at my heart, thinking I wasn’t doing enough as a mother.”
Fortunately, the Department of Defense passed a maternity and paternity leave policy in late 2022 to help combat the stress of welcoming a new life into a military family—for both the mother and the father.
Although major changes have been made in the last few decades, there is still much to do before the military can be seen as an equal force for all.
“There’s no arguing that a diverse force is a more lethal force, and in order to recruit and retain the best of our nation, we have to remove arbitrary barriers to service,” said Higdon.
Having strong female leaders and mentors for younger Airmen, both male and female, to look up to is something many don’t realize the importance of.
For U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joey Meininger, 1 SOW command chief, inspiration from female leaders hits closer to home.
“As far as inspiration, I cannot think of a better example than my spouse,” said Meininger. “We both started our Air Force careers as firefighters, and she was one of only a couple of females we had at our department.”
Meininger said that he has always been in awe of her strength and perseverance as she overcame adversity.
“She never left a challenge unanswered,” he said. “By her example, she showed me what right looks like. I would not be a Chief if I had not met her.”
Women’s history is not new. It extends past the month of March, and past the panels held by leaders at various installations. It is, and will be, an ongoing remembrance and initiative to empower the future female leaders of the U.S. Air Force.
“Today, I live with unapologetic authenticity– I’m equal parts Disney Princess and Marvel Superhero,” said Higdon. “I want to create space in our military for other women to do what’s true to them.”
Below are more questions and answers by both panel members and other leaders:
What are some of the challenges / obstacles you have faced as a woman during your service? **For CMSgt Meininger, what have you seen from your position that your peers and coworkers have faced?**
“MOM GUILT! Balancing the requirements of a demanding career with the requirements of motherhood is tough for me. I love my career and always wanted to be the best I could be, but I constantly felt (feel) a tug at my heart, thinking I wasn’t doing enough as a mother. The times I haven’t been there for special occasions, school events, or chaperoning a field trip – those things have weighed heavily on my heart. I am PCS-ing again soon, and this one will separate me from my son – I’m struggling with this decision. Luckily (somehow), he has grown into a tremendous and resilient young man; he handles it all far better than mom does.” -CMSgt Kristina Higdon
“Having grown up in a career field with very few women, I learned how to navigate that environment from the get-go in my military career, and that has been the case throughout my entire 30 years. Sometimes I wonder ‘how did I get here? Why am I in another unit with no girls?’ At that time during my journey, the women just hadn’t arrived or had been allowed to be there. I chased it and I got there, and I said to myself, ‘oh, there’s no girls?’ But now I see them everywhere, and that’s pretty darn empowering!” Col. Allison Black
Can you recall a time where you felt inspired by a female counterpart (or leader) or mentored by one, during your career?
“As far as inspiration, I cannot think of a better example than my spouse. We both started our Air Force careers as firefighters. She was one of only a couple of females we had at our department. She had plenty of challenges and faced adversity as she navigated through her first couple of years. She never left a challenge unanswered. She was always a great Airman and truly inspired me with her no-fail attitude and her consistent strive to make a difference in everything she did. By her example, she showed me what right looks like. I would not be a Chief if I had not met her.” – CMSgt Joey Meininger
“I have been inspired by so many women in these past 24 years, both in and out of uniform, too many to list! I’ll share the first - then SrA Cristy Long, now Lt Col Cristy Long. As a brand-new airman, I showed up to my first duty station and encountered SrA Long for the first time. I was immediately impressed by her – her uniform was sharp, her hair was pulled back perfectly, she KNEW HER STUFF on the job, she was a consummate professional – direct in her communication with others…just an all-around rock-star. I latched on for dear life! And she let me. We eventually became great friends and remain so to this day. I was honored to have her be the one to officiate my promotion to CMSgt.” -CMSgt Kristina Higdon
How has your perspective on leadership or being a leader changed since you were a junior member?
“The concept of leadership has evolved for me – from something concrete, inevitable, and a right by virtue of position, to something imperfect, fragile, and earned every day. You can’t lead if no one’s following, so understanding our responsibility to those we lead is imperative - it requires showing up, being present, and standing in the arena (Brene Brown’s analogy) with your team/unit/people.” -CMSgt Kristina Higdon
“When I was a junior member, I was really only focused on leading myself. Very few people counted on me to lead them and I simply had to be the best teammate I could be. That was fairly easy. As I grew in the ranks, my responsibility to others increased tremendously. Leading people is such a vast topic and you really learn as you go. You cannot read a book, go to a school or watch a podcast and have it all down. It’s all about reps and sets. I’ve made plenty of mistakes (still make them) and I’ve learned just as much from my members as they have from me. My only challenge to myself is to be a better leader tomorrow than I am today. That takes consistent effort and two-way feedback.” -CMSgt Joey Meininger
Do you feel we are heading in the right direction as a force? What changes do you hope to see in the future, for both women and men who serve?
“The fact that we are talking more openly about things that used to be considered taboo in the Air Force, such as race, gender, politics, etc., I believe has opened a lot of doors to conversations that we really needed. I feel like I know so much more about my people, which in turn makes me a better leader. The idea that we can have these raw conversations, and they still can be pretty uncomfortable, but that we invite the conversation—it is a huge leap in the right direction. What I would like to see in the future is that diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t a “thing,” --but that it is just part of a fabric in our DNA.” – Col. Allison Black
How have you been impacted by the recent diversity and inequality initiatives that the Air Force has implemented?
“Personally, I’ve been focused on translating as much of our initiatives I can to ensure our members understand the “what” and “why.” We’ve pushed out plenty of reports and created programs to get after the identified disparities. There is a lot going on across our force and our folks need to know that. At times, the sheer size and scope of the changes may be missed by a few of our members. It’s my job to share as much as I can, and to continue the feedback loop to ensure from an enterprise perspective we’re getting it right.” – CMSgt Joey Meininger
“In short, I feel hopeful. Being we can have these bold conversations today is a HUGE stride forward – we can all acknowledge every member should work in a safe environment, free of harm and disrespect. Today, we value our Airmen for all they are, in and out of uniform. We’re at a place where, if nothing else, we stop and think about our biases and perspectives, and the perspectives of others. That’s transformative! And it gives me hope for an even better tomorrow.” – CMSgt Kristina Higdon