Photo By Lillian Putnam | Ms. Marion Whicker, Army Materiel Command executive deputy to the commanding general,...... read more read more
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – An organization focused on providing a safe platform for Soldiers and civilians to address challenges and issues in their workplaces has launched at Redstone Arsenal.
Redstone’s inaugural Female Mentorship and Morale Program session was hosted by Marion Whicker, Army Materiel Command executive deputy to the commanding general, and Col. Clydea Prichard-Brown, executive officer to the AMC deputy commanding general, at the Bob Jones Auditorium March 17, 2023.
FMMP is a personal and professional development program for military, civilians, recruits and cadets that meets monthly offering leadership forums, workshops, panels and mentoring sessions.
“I wish I had something like this because there weren’t a lot of female leaders when I started,” said Whicker, reflecting on the beginning of her career as a GS-5 intern. “There is no greater mentoring opportunity than FMMP. It’s a chance to engage with people all over the world.”
Redstone’s session launched during Women’s History Month and highlighted milestones of women from throughout the year. It also featured a question-and-answer session from Whicker.
“We’ve got the first woman vice president, first all-female Super Bowl flyover team,” Whicker said. “Gen. Van Ovost, U.S. Transportation Command commander, said ‘we must go above and beyond acceptance to inclusion and truly list and value everyone’s voice’… and that’s what this program is about.”
FMMP is a grassroots organization of the Women’s Initiatives Team, which allows representatives from across the Army to recommend policy, program and resource changes to create opportunities for success in women’s recruitment, retention, readiness and advancement.
FMMP was first launched in 2019 at Fort Lee, Virginia, by Prichard-Brown, who was a brigade commander at the time. After being approached by several Soldiers asking for mentorship, she agreed to have a group mentorship session. Prichard-Brown continued to host sessions, and the demand for the program quickly grew.
“We started as a small chapter with initially the 13 women that came to me asking for mentorship, asking for guidance. The next month we asked those same people to come back, and they brought 45 people. The next month with 79 people,” Prichard-Brown said.
The program garnered support from many senior leaders, including Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, who identified FMMP as an important grassroots organization for providing feedback to senior leaders on the effects of Army policies and programs on women in and out of uniform. The FMMP is a gender-inclusive program that aims to ensure Soldiers and civilians have a platform to voice their opinions and in expressing their concerns.
“We wanted to provide a platform where they didn’t feel judged,” said Prichard-Brown. “They were able and free to talk about these issues and not only that we would address them, but we would also immediately get involved with whatever issues they were experiencing.”
Currently there are 25 FMMP chapters established across the Army. The Redstone chapter is unique because it serves a Federal Center of Excellence with more than 70 organizations from the Army, NASA, Department of Defense, FBI and more. Prichard-Brown says she is excited to get the program at Redstone started and emphasized that the program is open to not just military service members, but to civilian employees and contractors across the installation as well.
“Team Redstone is going to be the largest chapter of the FMMP because of the different organizations that are here,” she said.
Whicker closed Redstone’s session with a call for men and women to join the chapter.
“My goal is to get this program off the ground and to find our next leaders. What we need from you is your involvement, your concerns and your partnership. Go and find the people you don’t know… get involved, raise your hand and continue to be brave,” Whicker said.
If you are interested in learning more about the FMMP sessions, email the Executive Board at FT.LeeFMMP@gmail.com.
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2023 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 441854 |
| Location: | REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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