Thoughtful insights.
I was commissioned in ‘78. Until I retired 26 years later, there was not one woman above me in my chain of command all the way up to CNO, until my last tour, when I was privileged to work for VADM Patricia Tracey, the first woman in any service to put on 3 stars. She had been a mentor of mine, along with a few other senior women, remotely, in the sense there were so few, and you met them, and they offered to be a sounding board for you, you contacted them when you needed to. For everyday mentoring in the workplace, for things big and small, it was the male senior officers (and definitely the male chiefs, senior chiefs and master chiefs when I was a JO) who were my mentors and professional development coaches. I was grateful for the ones who mentored regardless of gender, skin color, ethnicity. They were focused on performance as an officer. I can close my eyes and think about CWO4 Roy Perez, LCDR Steve Flood, BTCM Higgins (his first name was Master Chief to me, and he was Black, and his lessons in deckplate leadership were gold, and his empathy for knowing how it felt to not be in the majority was powerful), and so many other Dept heads, XOs, COs, Chiefs of Staff, flag officers over the years. Sure, I encountered my share of those with a severe case of Disinclination In Mentoring Women In The Service (had to work for that acronym), but there were enough right-minded officers to carry on the work of developing those who came behind them. I also mentored without regard to whatever label or category might apply. That was my duty and also a great source of professional pleasure. I now volunteer with two non-profits mentoring military members in career transition out of the military through coaching calls, for the same reasons. (For my veteran friends here, if you haven’t already checked them out, Veterati and American Corporate Partners.)
I find today’s mix of people in the service to be energizing. One day, none of it will matter.
