Photo By 1st Lt. Christi Richter | Staff Sgt. Logan May poses for a portrait after being interviewed for Women's History...... read more read more
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MANSFIELD, Ohio – March is observed nationally as Women’s History Month. One way to highlight the history of women in the Air National Guard is to observe them making history today in the 179th Airlift Wing, Mansfield, Ohio.
Women at the 179th AW are outnumbered by male Airmen, currently the unit is under 25% female, and that statistic is not unusual for any military installation. The goal is to raise that number to 30% by 2026. As the unit approaches its 70th anniversary it strives to reach further milestones of empowering female Airmen.
Recently, the unit has made history appointing Col. Allison C. Miller as the first female wing commander in the Ohio Air National Guard. Last year, Col. Patricia L. Barr became the Mission Support Group Commander and a female from the unit Chief Master Sgt. Heidi A. Bunker, was selected to be the Command Chief for the 178th Wing. The 179th AW currently has two female Chief Master Sergeants, Chief Dana M. Togliatti and Chief April R. Gunnoe.
Leadership roles are an important step to acknowledging that although they are still outnumbered, they are valued for the diversity they bring to the unit and equal in their ability to get the mission accomplished.
For some of the youngest Airmen, these changes are happening while they are still trying to figure out their roles and career ambitions. Some of the women have been around long enough to personally feel the climate change and can remember a time when they personally felt limited by traditional gender roles.
Staff Sgt. Logan May is a Logistics Management Specialist at the 179th Airlift Wing. The mission of Logistics Management is to support the mission as a whole and provide necessary materials for members of the wing.
May keeps busy when on and off drill weekends. She works full time at the base, goes to school full time for respiratory therapy, and works an additional 36 hours a week at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
May thinks that that Air National Guard can be a great work environment for women.
“The military is awesome,” said May. “It gives you so many opportunities and it’ll build your confidence for you. I think for women, sometimes they don’t have a certain place maybe on the civilian side but you come here and you’re an equal and it’s nice to be viewed as such.”
May reflects on how the role and perception of women has changed throughout the history of the military.
“It used to be that women couldn’t be on the front lines,” said May. “We were kind of set into the background but now were moving more in the foreground. We’re coming back and saying, ‘We can do anything you can do. So let us attempt to do it. Let me show you that I can do everything that you can do.’”
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2018 15:39 |
| Story ID: | 268052 |
| Location: | MANSFIELD, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Women Making History, May's Story, by 1st Lt. Christi Richter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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