AUGUST 2021 • VOL . 1 • ISSUE 8
•AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS•
‘Fly Girl Painter’ Makes Her Mark and Inspires Next Generation
Find Peace in a Chaotic World: Plan a Trip Centered in Solitude and Reflection
Intentional LeadHERship
CONTENT
27 In every Issue
HER Life
Note from the EditHER
Summertime blues.
HighlightHER
Find Peace in a Chaotic World: Plan a Trip Centered in Solitude and Reflection.
WriteHER Connection ActivateHER
PAGE 5
36
MentHERship
Three things I wish I knew before basic. Intentional LeadHERship
HERstory
Breaking Glass Ceilings We are the few, the proud, the Military MotHERs.
Four Keys to a successful transition
PAGE 9
FreedomSisters Magazine
PAGE 19
07
13 FoundHER
‘Fly Girl Painter’ Makes Her Mark and Inspires Next Generation. Nose art is a longstanding tradition for military aircraft. Meet Shayne Meder, a talented VetHERan who continues to serve through her art.
LeadHER
47 HER Next Mission
No Sister Left Behind.
Unseen on the big screen.
Learn more about The Pink Berets and their innovative leadHER, Stephanie Gattas.
Wonder Woman, the peaceful warrior.
A true healing opportunity free of cost for all of our sisters-in-arms.
A degree vs. certification...What's driving you?
Woman Warrior The Healing Properties of Houseplants: Five must have plants for beginners. My daughter's graduation and God's plan. Honor, diligence, service and love. Jen's Love Army.
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PAGE 45 FreedomSisters Magazine
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Find Peace in a Chaotic World: Plan a Trip Centered in Solitude and Reflection By: Aaliyah Al-Mahdi
A girl gathering or family vacation is fun and often, it’s much needed but sometimes we need a little alone time even more. After spending a year mostly at home, one challenge to achieving relaxation is being comfortable exploring in potentially crowded spaces. Luckily, solitude can be one of the best ways to find peace and reset our minds. Peaceful activities that promote solitude can include spending time by water or being in nature, practicing self-care or placing ourselves in a quiet environment like a public library.
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Spend time on the water Being near the water often prompts self-reflection and rejuvenation but you don’t have to make a trip to one of the coasts to reap the benefits of water. Plan a trip to a lake and, even better, visit a lake that isn’t as crowded as some of the bigger tourist destination lakes. Explore the quieter side of the Great Lakes. In Wisconsin visit Newport State Park, Rock Island State Park or Simmons Island Beach. If you’re in Michigan, visit North Bar Lake, McCarty’s Cove, Twelve mile Beach or Lake Huron Roadside Park. Other secluded lakes to explore in the U.S. include Lake Dillon in Dillon, Colorado, which is a fresh water reservoir that offers stunning views of the Rocky Mountains. The Rangeley Lakes region in Rangeley, Maine that features six large lakes that offer peace and natural beauty. If you plan to take a trip out west or live there and want to play in your backyard, hit Bigfork, Montana or check out Priest Lake, in Idaho.
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Take a trip to a botanical garden Get lost in beautiful flowers and plants by visiting some of the most spectacular botanical gardens throughout the country. Visit the United States Botanic Garden, in Washington, DC., the New York Botanical Garden, in New York City, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, or the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in Coral Gables, Florida. Many cities across the nation have botanical gardens, so check out your local scene too.
Ideas to relax inside If you prefer to spend time indoors but don’t want to travel that far from home, look into planning a self-care weekend at a hotel near your home. Many four or five-star hotels offer massage or spa packages and that’s a perfect way to treat yourself. Do you crave the quiet comfort of libraries? Plan a trip around visiting some of the most unique public libraries in the U.S. There are lots of libraries that are quiet sanctuaries for bookworms, but many also have unique architectural details.
A few worth visiting are Ben May Main Library in Mobile, Alabama, a library that has ancient Greek design elements, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Geisel Library at UC San Diego is named for Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as "Dr. Seuss," and the library’s quirky, futuristic design is reminiscent of the beloved childhood author. Indianapolis's Central Library was originally constructed 100 hundred years ago in Greek Doric style, and has recently been renovated with a 10,000-square-foot glass atrium that provides expansive views of the city skyline. Now that you have a few ideas of how to get out and spend some quiet time reflecting, carve out time and commit to a weekend or even a week—for yourself.
1st Sgt. Allaina Rapps, fists bumps at award ceremony during COVID-19
Intentional LeadHERship By: Allaina Rapps
In full transparency, I never intended to become a leadHER. My plan was to get out of the military after my initial enlistment. However, in a blink of an eye and twenty years later, I still serve.
These intentional leaders saw my potential even when I couldn’t see it myself.
What changed?
A formal leader is appointed by position or title. An informal leader is someone you look up to or you want to emulate.
I experienced leaders who were intentional. Leaders that inspired me over time through action, deed and word. To inspire, you first have to aspire to be greater than you are today. Anyone can make a decision. But great leaders are self-aware and are intentional in thought and action, even faced with adversity.
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They mentored me through formal and informal leadership.
Their intentional leadership provided invaluable counsel throughout my career, so for that, I want to be intentional about equipping you with the very philosophies and lessons they provided me in developing my leadHERship.
Listen with empathy. “One of the best attributes any leader can display is the ability to not only listen but to do so with empathy,” says former Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, Retired, Anthony Young. As my first mentor in service, he believed in putting “ourselves in someone else’s shoes.” It provides the opportunity “of connecting to that individual in ways that we may not have been able to otherwise.” Sergeant First Class, Retired, Anthony Young
Seek knowledge. Reading fosters growth and enables you to stay relevant. Former colleague and mentor, Sergeant Major Dana Richmond, says “Lifelong learning is a part of being a professional, stewarding your profession, challenging yourself, and improving your organization.” Richmond recommends, “find a mentor to guide you,” for personal and professional goals alike. Sergeant Major Dana Richmond
Be courageous yet humble. Warren G. Bennis said, “The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.” Friend and previous Commander of mine, Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Avilesfigueroa, says “I believe doing the right thing, which is not always the popular thing to do and probably the most challenging, requires courage.” Have the humility to understand your weakness and the courage to strive to be better. Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Avilesfigueroa FreedomSisters Magazine
Have grit.
Sergeant First Class, Retired, Steven Trackwell
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, grit is a hard sharp granule of sand or firmness of mind or spirit. Sergeant First Class, Retired, Steven Trackwell, is a leader I respect for his passion and perseverance; for his grit. Trackwell says, great leaders “...test your limits daily both physically and mentally,” and that “great leaders…are the ones that push you through your potential breaking point into greatness.” When you have grit, you never give up. Grit builds character.
Allaina Rapps and new recruits
Great leaders are developed over time through: self-awareness, empathy, courage, humility, an appetite for knowledge, and grit. While simple in nature, these traits are intentional choices. Choose to be an intentional leadHER. Lastly, you don’t need to have all the answers to be a great leadHER. In fact, admitting you don’t have every answer is admirable in itself, and key for self development. LeadHERs gain knowledge through experience and experience is accomplished by trying things you’ve never tried before. To make an impact, be the leadHER you always wanted. Choose to be present, empathic, courageous, thirsty for knowledge and always remember to have grit. FreedomSisters Magazine
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Her favorite project to date is the ‘show bird’ for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 (HSC-21) Blackjacks, based at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California. The aircraft she nicknamed “Betsy” and it’s designated as the aircraft in the squadron featuring a custom paint job, highlighting symbols of unit pride and tradition. (Courtesy photo)
Makes Her Mark and Inspires Next Generation.
By: Amy Forsythe
It was late morning when I sat down for a Zoom call with Stephanie Gattas, LeadHER of The Pink Berets (TPB). She graciously agreed to leave our cameras off at my request and in the most societal driven exchange two women could have we quickly apologized for our appearances and schedules before realizing neither of us had anything to apologize for and we shared a good laugh. Like that, the ice was broken. Though I’m certain it’s easy for anyone to break the ice with Gattas, her welcoming demeanor draws you in with her easy cadence of speech that demands to be listened to in the most inviting of ways. I knew I was in for a treat.
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Gattas has done countless interviews about how she started TPB but I wanted to start at the beginning of her story—how she came to be a vetHERan. When I asked her this question, she replied in the most humble of ways, “It’s not an all-American story. I just had the desire to serve…”. I don’t know about you but I can’t think of anything more all American than that. She expanded upon the question, telling me she had a desire to serve from an early age. Serving in the military was not a family tradition and within her generation, she was the first to serve when she joined the U.S. Navy in 1994. Gattas would find out that both her grandfathers had served with her maternal grandfather even having served in the Navy! She explained that looking back on old photographs, it seemed serendipitous that she was dressed up as a little sailor. I wonder if that little girl knew how many lives she was going to save. Gattas served from 1994-2002. She worked as a corpsman which she said really prepared her to get out of the service and have a viable career afterward.
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Image by Abderrahman Hadd from Pixabay
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The Lasso of Truth. What we do know from any power struggle in history, it is warped in lies and fear-mongering. This lasso represents a time for women to share their truths and embodied experiences. Prior to this era of time, women were expected to be seen and less heard. The role of women was very submissive, and, in that submission, many violent and abusive secrets were kept. Bracelets of Submission/Victory. The irony is not lost on me. Submission on a higher level encompasses the ability to not only take control of your charge but to make them realize the err of their ways in that submission and to get them to a cohesive, unified empathetic rule of order that benefits all. That in itself is a more victorious battle than the ones that cost lives, empires, and cultures. Men couldn’t just rule the world, they had to rule home as well and that pressure to survive at the cost of another is just not sustainable. Women would need to find a way to relinquish their thirst for power by equalizing their role in society whether during peacetime or periods of conflict. Royal Tiara. This adornment serves as a reminder that women have a stake hold in society. They are who breathes life into new life, they nurture and, in that nurturing, derives effective leaders with compassion. Warrior Suits and Battle Armor. Worn by WW to identify her to her tribe, world and each piece serve a purpose in her battles. Being suited for battle vs. hidden or sent away with children during times of duress brings distinction to your community. Seeing WW in her armor helped me rationalize just how important it was for a woman to be prepared, trained and ready for any battle because of cowering means immediate defeat and potential enslavement.
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Martial Weapons and Magical Swords. Her training as a warrior on Paradise Island included a range of fighting styles and tools, and she is capable of fighting with swords, daggers, axes, spears, the bow and arrow, shields, staffs and much more. Her primary magic, to work on invulnerable beings and in our modern world, we understand just how valuable vulnerability is to our healing. There are many other symbols that surround WW related to her intuition as a woman such as her telekinetic powers through her earrings and with her invisible plane that rounds out her prowess.
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