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HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. – Racer Athena adjourned first official meeting after months of grassroots efforts at the 181st Intelligence Wing in Terre Haute, Indiana, Nov. 17, 2024.
The Racer Athena initiative, spear-headed by Senior Master Sgt. Esther Roman, 181st Operations Support Squadron Drill Status Guardsman Operation Superintendent, and Abby Elsey, the 181st Victim Advocate, aims to drive positive change through policies, programs, culture, and mentorship for women.
“I just hope to foster connectedness and drive a positive change in our culture,” said Roman when reflecting on what the Racer Athena group hopes to achieve. “Our theme as a whole [is to] drive positive change in policies and programs that affect all of us.”
Roman explained how there are different types of Athena programs across the U.S. Air Force Major Commands; Air Combat Command’s Sword Athena, Air Materiel Command’s Reach Athena, Air Force Special Operations Command's Dagger Athena, Air Education and Training Command’s Torch Athena and the Air Reserve Component’s version of Athena, ARC Athena.
ARC Athena, which the Racer Athena group falls under, aims to identify and find solutions to female and family-centric barriers to military service.The program was initially developed under the Women's Initiative Team umbrella, which is part of the broader diversity and inclusion efforts of the Air Force.
The first official meeting didn’t manifest itself overnight at the 181st. Roman said Elsey had been conducting women’s groups for about six months under the direction of Col. Charles Goad, Wing Commander of the 181st, and Roman wanted to combine efforts with her for the group to be recognized as a professional organization.
“It's great to hear what the problems are, but we've got to find actionable solutions,” said Roman. “That's what I think the Athenas really do.”
Roman talked about how groups and individuals have made progress towards child-care over drill and setting up lactation rooms across the base. These are examples of the positive impact that Racer Athena hopes to build.
She hopes that the Racer Athena group will begin to open these lines of communications between leaders who have access to resources and the people who need them.
With their first official meeting adjourned, the Racer Athenas have their sights set on creating an impactful event for Women’s History Month in March 2025.
“I’m very hopeful we’ll be engaging our community by reaching outside and bringing in some women-owned businesses or female-oriented groups within our local colleges or high schools,” said Roman. “I'm really hopeful this will actually drive recruiting and retention and affect other areas on the base.”
Roman says her door is open to new or curious members interested in reaching out to be added to the Racer Athena group communication.
“We recognize how busy drill weekends are and we want Airmen to know they can be involved whether or not they come to meetings,” said Roman. She wants everyone to know that people can reach out to her, Elsey, or Tech. Sgt. Kayla Haring, the 137th Intelligence Squadron Patriot Flight Liaison, with questions or for more information about Racer Athena.
For upcoming events, Racer Athena is planning to host a mentoring event in January where they will have a panel of 181st women leaders sharing their mentorship experiences and answering questions. The event is scheduled to be held on Sunday of January drill weekend, from 1400–1500 in the Bldg. 25 classroom. All members of the 181st are invited to attend.
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2025 10:31 |
| Story ID: | 487322 |
| Location: | TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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