Photo By Emma Loscalzo | Air Force civil engineer, Lt. Col. Marie Harnly led the Situation Room’s first...... read more read more
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Sixty years after the inception of the White House Situation Room, Air Force civil engineer, Lt. Col. Marie Harnly led the Situation Room’s first renovation in almost two decades. When the Situation Room was first completed in 1961, women were not able to join the nation’s military as equal members. Today, women make up over 17% of active-duty forces, and hold top positions in both government and defense. Serving as the Director of Special Projects at the White House, Harnly is one of many female Airmen who are breaking barriers and succeeding at the highest levels of their career fields.
Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the women who have been changemakers in this world, and Harnly has certainly made an impact for generations to come. The work she has done in the Situation Room will serve U.S. Presidents and the nation’s top leaders for decades. For Harnly, she always knew that she wanted to make an impact on the world using her passion for engineering.
From a young age, Harnly remembers having a strong desire to fix things. She fondly remembers spending hours as a young girl taking apart her Easy Bake Oven to learn how it worked. Harnly said “I always knew from a young age that I wanted to be an engineer, and to use those skills to make the world a better place.” Years later, Harnly moved on from Easy Bake Ovens and decided to use her skills in service of others.
Harnly’s mother instilled her passion for bettering the world, which led her to a life of military service. Harnly said “My mom changed the trajectory of my life through her spirit of service. She never placed limits or boundaries on my dreams. She encouraged me to follow my passion, live a life of service, and pay it forward to the next generation.” Harnly’s family has a strong legacy of military service, with several of her family members having served in the Air Force. Harnly said, “They opened my eyes to military service and to dedicating yourself to a larger purpose.”
Harnly has certainly dedicated her career to service for a higher purpose. The remodel of the Situation Room has innovated the space to provide more secure communication to our nation’s top leaders during critical decision making. Her role at the White House serves as an example for the next generation of female civil engineers of what is possible. When asked about the remodel of the Situation Room, Harnly said, “it has been the honor of a lifetime to lead such a tremendous team and represent Air Force civil engineers in this role…The fact that an Air Force civil engineer was chosen speaks to the caliber of our career field. I am forever grateful to those that paved a path, mentored me, and believed in me, making this extraordinary opportunity possible.”
The Situation Room renovation was completed in August of 2023, and cost upwards of $50 million. Harnly led a team of over 700 individuals who worked around the clock to ensure the project was completed on schedule. The team overcame many obstacles during the year-long renovation; one of the most difficult being the entry of materials and people into the space through a single window. The project presented many challenges and Harnly attributed overcoming those to the Air Force civil engineer career field. “Thankfully, the civil engineering career field has afforded me phenomenal training and education opportunities that prepared me to tackle these challenges. My technical foundation was established during a lot of courses at the Air Force Institute of Technology, my ability to creatively problem solve was honed during my previous engineering roles, and my failures taught me important lessons throughout my career. My leadership skills, especially to build teams with diverse backgrounds, all working toward a common goal, were sharpened during professional military education and my engineering assignments. I am very fortunate for these experiences. They contributed not only to me, but also the project’s and team’s success”, Harnly explained.
The Situation Room has changed in many ways over the years, in more ways than just remodeling. In the spirit of Women's History Month, Harnly says that, "Women's History Month is a celebration of the trailblazers that came before me. Their inspirational stories elevate us all and provide hope for the future." She is going to continue to serve as an inspiration to young female Airmen everywhere, showing that there is space for women in every place, even if you have to crawl through a window to find it.
An Airman civil engineer for over 15 years, Harnly is sought after for her leadership and engineering excellence. Harnly’s career has led her to incredible moments of service. Prior to her work in the Situation Room at the White House, she had served with the Air Force Chief of Staff for three years, and in difficult environments on two joint bases and one NATO ally base.
Some of the more challenging moments of Harnly’s career were during her year-long deployment in Saudi Arabia during 2013. During this time, local laws in Saudi Arabia made it so women were not allowed to drive. Harnly said “Although it was frustrating to be excluded from engagements, my gender gave me a different perspective and provided an opportunity to be embraced by a community of local females. Those exchanges gave me unique insights and a different viewpoint. I am so appreciative of my time and experiences in Saudi Arabia; they taught me so much and shaped me into the person I am today.”
No matter what challenge Harnly is faced with, she has approached it with a pursuit to make the world a better place. For other female engineers looking to step in to spaces that they were not originally intended for, like the Situation Room, Harnly has advice, “Chart your own path and follow your passion.”
Reflecting on her career, Harnly said that “It has been better than I deserved for it to be, and I’m grateful every day that I have the opportunity to continue to serve, especially when I get to accomplish our engineering mission and take care of our Airmen and families in the process.”
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2024 11:51 |
| Story ID: | 467039 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 1,846 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Woman Behind the Situation Room: Lt. Col. Marie Harnly, by Emma Loscalzo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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