Photo By Pfc. Gabrielle Scibetta | Stoic, Staff Sgt. Naomi Connelly, firefinder operator and full-time training...... read more read more
GRAYLING, Mich. - Among a battery of men, Staff Sgt. Naomi Connelly, sticks out of the crowd as the only one with her hair in a bun. She works on the technical side of artillery but that doesn’t mean she is afraid of manual labor. The black eye she wears is a friendly reminder of the chain that smacked her in the face while loading equipment for the battery.
Connelly is the only female firefinder radar operator in Echo Target Acquisition Battery, 197th Field Artillery Brigade, New Hampshire Army National Guard. Prior, she worked in signal for ten years, first as a multichannel transmission system operator and then a signal support system specialist.
“Basically, it’s the transmission side of the house in signal,” explains Connelly. “Then I became a signal instructor in Pennsylvania for signal support system specialist.”
While in Pennsylvania, Connelly worked with the artillery battalion and was able to train as a cannon crew member. The soldiers there said she could work in the Paladin, cannon artillery, if she could lift the 100lb ammo – and she did. There, she fell in love with artillery. Unfortunately, that field was closed to females and Connelly had to continue her career elsewhere.
“I moved to Delaware to take the position as the task battalion non-commissioned officer in charge for the signal school houses,” said Connelly. “Every National Guard schoolhouse that taught the signal MOS fell under me.”
Two years later, an exciting and life-changing opportunity presented itself. An active guard reserve training NCO position opened up in the New Hampshire Army National Guard. At the same time, the Army made a change and several field artillery MOS’s were opened up for females.
“It caught my attention for both the job and the location,” said Connelly. “I’m a Yankee through and through. It was the right place at the right time.”
As is custom for many military families, Connelly, her husband and daughter picked up and moved to the New England area. She has been with Echo TAB for two years now, and being no stranger to leadership, is a radar operator section chief.
Echo TAB was a different ball game for Connelly. Aside from some minor hiccups she was able to hit a home run and now the soldiers treat her like one of the guys.
“These guys are quite literally my life – And we play wiffle ball. A lot,” said Connelly. “I pass by the male standards on the Army physical fitness test because I can’t hold my guys accountable if I can’t meet the same standards,” said Connelly. “I do the same job with zero difference in expectation.”
Having a dedicated and hard-working NCO like Connelly is beneficial to the unit. She is not only knowledgeable at what she does but she is willing to share that knowledge with her subordinates, co-workers and leadership.
“Her presence here has been critical to the mission,” said Capt. Craig Stansfield, commander of Echo Target Acquisition Battery. “She has a motherly presence; she takes care of all her soldiers.”
Stansfield added the only time you can offend Connelly is if you doubt her dedication to her soldiers and the unit. For that, her soldiers have the upmost respect for her.
“Staff Sgt. Connelly’s extreme devotion and wealth of knowledge has been essential to the units overall success,” said Sgt. Ryan Keane, a senior radar operator for Echo TAB. “She pushes this knowledge base on all of the unit’s soldiers, which has led to vast training improvements, boosting the units proficiency throughout.”
Connelly’s determination and dedication is unwavering; her mission to be the best NCO is not over.
“When people look at me, I would like them to see a confident soldier and NCO, somebody who is very into her work,” said Connelly. “I would like to be judged by what I am capable of doing rather than my gender.”
Connelly hopes that one day her daughter will have more opportunities than she did and will look back at the ripple effect her mother helped create. She encourages her to be willing to go after what she wants just like her mother has.
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2014 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 136895 |
| Location: | GRAYLING, MICHIGAN, US |
| Hometown: | KITTERY, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 529 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New Hampshire Army National Guard: First National Guard Female in the Artillery Field, by PFC Gabrielle Scibetta, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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