Photo By Staff Sgt. Justin Smith | (From left to right): Command Sgt. Maj. Tammy Everette, Commandant of the...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas—The Fort Bliss Female Mentoring and Morale Program held a two-day leadership summit at the Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Center of Excellence on August 15-16, 2024. The Army-wide program, founded in 2019 at Fort Gregg Adams, Virginia (then Fort Lee) and established at Fort Bliss in 2021, is intended to assist female Soldiers in finding mentors to help them navigate their careers and create a support network.
The first day of the event featured guest speaker Maj. Gen. (ret.) Maria Britt, a West Point graduate in one of the first classes to admit women, was the first female in Georgia promoted to general officer while serving in the Georgia Army National Guard. She now speaks and writes about leadership success stories based on her experience in and out of uniform.
Her discussion focused on finding our 'true north' in a series of lessons to help soldiers navigate their personal and professional lives, such as "Staying in the Fight," "Work Smarter, not Harder," and "Integrity Always."
She also touched on the relationship between mentor and mentee.
"Coaching and mentoring is a two-way street. Yes, you want to learn from mentors, but you need to be prepared to share what you know," Britt said. "Honesty is key. If you provide feedback, make sure they want it first, and ensure it is constructive."
Britt observed that many of her subordinates desired her honest feedback, and she had a few people she trusted to provide guidance.
“I knew where my heart was, and this did not threaten me. Many times, they saved me from myself”, she added.
Following her remarks, Britt held a short question-and-answer session. The next day, a panel of women from differing professional backgrounds took the stage, dispensing valuable experiences and fielding questions from the audience.
The guest speakers were Ms. Sharon Kesterson, Chief Intelligence Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, Command Sgt. Maj. Tammy Everette, Commandant of the NCOLCOE, Ms. Laura Balsa, Senior Client Partner for Korn Ferry Consulting Firm, and Col. Clydea Prichard-Brown, the founder of FMMP and Chief of staff for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The women gave a short introductory talk about their experiences and lessons learned as females in leadership positions.
"We have this program because there are women out there craving to hear how to be successful," said Prichard-Brown. "I represent that voice to help you find your voice."
Although the FMMP is seen by most as a women’s program, it is fully integrated. Men of all ranks are welcome to participate. In fact, a male Soldier sits on the executive board of the chapter as a budget coordinator.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billy Bullock Jr., a platoon leader in Fox Company, 2-501st General Support Aviation Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, became involved after learning about the program from his wife, a member.
“I feel that a male perspective, especially with the integration of women into combat arms, and understanding the different challenges they need to overcome is important," he said. "I want to be a part of that."
A founding member of the Fort Bliss chapter, Lt. Col. Jennifer White, Chief of Operations for Joint Modernization Command and the first and current Fort Bliss FMMP chapter director, is passionate about the program and encourages all curious people, male or female, to check out what it has to offer. She found involvement in FMMP to be very beneficial.
"It is something I didn't realize I needed as well; being able to coach others, men and women, is very cathartic," she said. "It's very healing to talk about the negative things you've gone through, but also the positive things you've experienced, which replaces the experiences in your brain."
The Fort Bliss FMMP holds events throughout the year, for more information please visit their Facebook page: Fort Bliss Female Mentoring And Morale Program (FMMP) (facebook.com), or search Fort Bliss FMMP in an internet browser.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2024 17:06 |
| Story ID: | 479035 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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