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ARABIAN SEA – The year is 1920. Humankind has been able to fly for 17 years, the first enlisted woman joined the Navy three years ago and the Great War ended two years earlier. This is the first year that women in the United States will have the right to vote.
Celebrated on Aug. 26, Women’s Equality Day commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment which prohibits the government from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
The 19th Amendment was a giant step toward full and equal participation of women in our nation’s life. Women have been serving and making a change in the U.S. Navy for over a century, holding positions from administration to aviation to combat.
“Women getting the right to vote was one of the steps of equality,” said Capt. Elaine Collins, deputy commander Destroyer Squadron 9. “It was one step closer to total equality. It gave women the right to be heard.”
Since 1920, dramatic changes have swept through the world and through the Navy. Initially, women only served in non-combat roles like administration or nursing. Since 1994 when the “Risk Rule” was rescinded, women have been able to serve in combat positions in the military.
“I have been in the Navy for 22 years,” said Lt. Maria Relayo, a weapons limited-duty officer aboard Nimitz. “There have been a multitude of changes in the Navy since I have been in and most of them are for the good. Women can serve in different roles now, reach higher rankings and fulfill different roles at commands. It would take a long time to describe all of the changes.”
With these changes, women found new opportunities available to them. One opportunity, serving aboard warships, was something previously unavailable to women in the Navy.
“I was commissioned in December of 1996,” said Collins. “When I went to my first ship it was a completely different era. Women were brand new to ships then. It was a lot of fun to go to a warship as my first ship, and it was what I wanted to do. As an Ensign, I had every opportunity open to me.”
As the Navy expanded roles available to women, changes in shipboard life and policy had to be implemented to accommodate female Sailors. Established communities were dominated by men, and women had to find a way to advance in those communities.
“When I was enlisted, it felt pretty male dominated, especially in a small shop setting,” said Relayo. “Sometimes as a woman you want to be one of the ‘guys’. I wanted to be more accepted, and it took me a while to understand that I can be who I am. I can be accepted through my work, through my talents and through my strengths. It took me a few years to understand that.”
“I think as an officer I accepted that and embraced my femininity and understood what I had to bring to the table,” added Relayo. “Learning to accept who you are, regardless of the environment is as important as anything else.”
Promoting fair treatment or equality is part of “The Sailor’s Creed”. A Sailor who is hard-working and dedicated can rise through the ranks, as they follow their career path.
“The SWO [Surface Warfare Officer] community put a path before me, and I followed it,” said Collins. “I don’t look at myself as special or view myself as anything special. They put a path before me, I worked hard and it got me where I am. It isn’t gender related. Anyone can do it, and I chose to. There have been challenges, and when I look at it with the gender lenses they have been gender related, but the Navy has still made it clear what the path was regardless of who you are.”
Strong female role models help encourage younger Sailors to stay in the Navy. A more diversified force will increase the Navy’s warfighting capabilities, as more experience is brought to the table.
“The Navy has done a really good job of recruiting women,” said Collins. “When you see more women around the deckplates it isn’t just about recruiting. It is also about who stays. You can’t make a master chief overnight. You can’t make a Navy captain overnight. Women have had more run time. They have had more time in the Navy. I think we will see this change more because women are here to stay.”
Collins expressed her love for her job in the Navy, which is to drive ships. As she advanced, she did not have very many role models for herself. Pursuing a family and children were one of her goals, but so was advancing her career in the Navy. She felt an obligation to stay in the Navy and be a mentor and role model for people, not just women, who want to stay in.
“I tell my junior Sailors to grow where you are planted,” said Collins. “You don’t always get to choose where you go and that is why they are called orders. The Navy is so full of opportunity. Whether you come in for four years or 24 years the Navy is going to use you, so you should take advantage of every opportunity you get.”
Barriers continue to be broken down in the Navy as opportunities are made available to everyone regardless of gender or other differences.
“When I wake up in the morning I don’t think, ‘I am a woman. Let’s go to work today,’” said Relayo. “I go to work, and I know that I have a job to do. I don’t look at gender or my differences. I just go to work and do my job to the best of my ability. I try to mentor those around me, help others where I can and still hold people accountable for their work.”
Relayo said she has a lot of appreciation for women in the past. They were not allowed to serve in the military or vote and did not have control over their physical bodies in a lot of circumstances. It should be remembered and celebrated that women have those freedoms now. She said if that history is forgotten then women will be forced to repeat it.
Women of today’s Navy have many opportunities that women of history did not. They are a part of the world’s strongest naval force and have proven to be capable of holding any position in the force. They are strong leaders and proficient workers.
“I am glad we had women who were ‘firsts’,” said Collins. “There needed to be firsts, but now we need to move beyond that. We need to focus on the bigger picture and keep the ball moving down the field. The everyday struggle that they endured made it easier for people like me.”
Women's Equality Day is celebrated by remembering the women trailblazers who have fought for women's equality and have prevailed over gender stereotypes through determination, demonstrated skills and the gratitude for exploration, patriotism and hard work. Happy Women's Equality Day, and remember: no matter who you are, your vote counts.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.28.2020 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 385845 |
| Location: | ARABIAN SEA |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Chipping Away at Inequality, by ENS Greg Hall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
