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JUNE 2021 • VOL . 1 • ISSUE 6

•AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS•

The Secret yourself

•MAGAZINE•

•AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS•

•MAGAZINE•

June2021 | Vol. 1 | Issue 6 Publisher Freedom Sisters Media, LLC EditHER-in-Chief Managing EditHER Contributing WritHERs HER Life MentHERship HERstory FoundHER HER Next Mission

Woman Warrior

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Kerri Jeter E.V. Moore

inside Magazine or App editHERs@freedomsisters.com info@freedomsisters.com

Copyright | 2020-2021 | Freedom Sisters Media LLC Freedom Sisters Media respects the rights of all writeHERs, Photographers, Artists, and copyright holders. Consequently, all works that appear on this platform do so with the consent of the writeHER/s or the copyright holder. No image or information display on this site may be reproduced, transmitted, or copied without the express written permission of Freedom Sisters Media. Contravention is an infringement of the Copyright Act and its amendments and may be subject to legal action. FreedomSisters, VetHERan, MentHERship, EditHER, SuperSHEro, highlightHER, WriteHER, FoundHER, LeadHER are trademarks of Kerri jeter.

•AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS•

•MAGAZINE•

CONTENTS 04

EditHER's Note

HealthiHER you: Eat to lose weight. How living your best life can be an inspHERation to otHERs. Start a homestead from the ground up.

From military momma to momprenuer—Theresea Black invites us into her sweet success as the FoundHER of Bon Appésweet .

20 25 29

How to find faith and community after trauma. You are created to live life abundantly—not to simply survive.

Eddie Loredo's widow shares her story of heartache and how she stays connected with her late husband.

WWW.FREEDOMSISTERS.COM

A catalyst for change: The story behind the Air Force's new hair policy. MotHERhood—Where strength and fear collide.

Theresea Black: An entrepreneurial life of sweet success.

Identity: finding yourself and your purpose. CatalyzHER Navy Communicator shares secrets to online success with authentic storytelling. Transition into the unknown. Sisterhood is Powerful

63 66

110

The secret to finding yourself. Go the distance with a foundation of fitness. Battle Rhythm—Designing the life you love.

73 75 84 87 91 105

Watch your six From Survive to Thrive 10 Affirmations women warriors need daily Behind the Gold Star: An honor no one wants.

June HighlightHER

111 113

WriteHER Connection ActivateHER

W E

HealthiHER you: Eat to lose weight.

B Y :

N A V I E R E

W A L K E W I C Z

“Abs are made in the kitchen.” Hmmm, younger me would have thought I was on my way to the most amazing six-pack because I spent a great amount of time in the kitchen...as a taster and consumer. A quick glimpse down memory lane includes an overweight Naviere that wore a mint green, size-2x puffer coat. While that was the style at the time, it wasn’t in style to be a mint-green version of the “Michelin Man.” I tried unhealthy ways to drop the weight (we can save that for another article). Since college though, I committed to being healthy and dedicated the last two decades to nutrition and fitness education and experience.

The biggest learning that I always come back to was this: weight loss results are achieved faster with an initial focus on nutrition. Put another way, if you want to lose weight, start with your nutrition. We are more likely to stick to something when we see results. It’s human nature. I propose you start with a few healthy tips to follow to jump-start weight loss if that is your goal. These are the tips I follow—they’ve also helped countless numbers of clients, friends and athletes achieve goals when I’ve worked with them.

How living Your Best Life Can Be An InspHERation to OtHERs.

Courtesy Photos

By: Aaliyah Al-Mahdi

omen often face the unique challenge of balancing work, caring for their families and managing other aspects of life.

Faren is in the Army and while she currently calls Washington, D.C. home, she makes volunteering a priority no matter where she’s located

Being a vetHERan adds another layer to an already complicated experience since life can change drastically from one duty assignment to anotHER.

“My family is big on service and it is a major part of who I am. It is never an ask or task being engaged with helping otHERs,” she said.

One shining example of a vetHERan who serves those around her and pursues incredible fitness goals while still living her best life through travel and practicing self-care is Faren Campbell.

One way she stays connected is by seeking out like-minded individuals and finding teams whose mission aligns with her values. She currently works with Georgetown Ministry Center, a group that provides food, clothes and sanitary products to those in need.

By: Amber Valencia

omesteading has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. After the quarantine of 2020, there are more people starting homesteads to become more self-sufficient. Homesteading by definition is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency but what does that mean? Being self-sufficient doesn’t mean you have to move to woods somewhere and live totally off the grid—although that is an option. There are many practices that you can start to become less reliant on the traditional grocery stores and societal norms that don’t have to really change your day-today life at all. Start your homestead by deciding what that even looks like for you and your current situation. If you live in an apartment building your homestead journey may look a lot different from the person that lives on 10 acres in the Midwest United States. The great thing about homesteading is that there isn’t a one size fits all way of doing it! Start small and make changes as you can.

t e r c e S e Th yourself

a r a L y n a t t i By Br

She looked at me in the university hallway and asked, “Brittany, you’re strong and have been through so much. What would you tell these students to help them navigate this season of their lives?” Well there is one thing I wish I had given myself when I was young and starting out, and it’s something I wish otHERs would build for themselves as well—a compass. Had I only thought through not only who and what I wanted to be, but also HOW I wanted to become that person… I truly believe my life may have gone in a better direction much sooner. Create your own compass today and to carry it with you wherever you go. Don’t get lost in life, find your way and know why you’re going in that direction. Things to consider before you begin building your compass

Live Your Life by a

Compass, not a Clock. —Stephen R. Covey

A Ca t

ge: an

o f rC t s y h l a

The Story Behind the Air Force’s New Hair Policies

By: Elis Salamone

On the flip side, if women looked too masculine this could lead to homosexuality. These concerns were not only antiquated and archaic but a sign of the times in the United States. In 2021, our society and culture have progressed immensely, and the force is rich in diversity.

It has been 70 years since the Air Force last made substantial changes to its hair regulations for women. In 2021, that all changed when a group of Airmen decided to fight for regulation changes that not only made sense in our current diverse Air Force but also disrupted the status quo. The new hair regulations took effect in February 2021. After five years of advocacy, the new hair regulations took effect in February 2021. Women have been serving in the Air Force since 1948 and have contributed to every conflict since then, both professionally and courageously. The hair regulations established in 1948 were more about societal and cultural stigma concerning women serving alongside men. The regulation had two styles: a bun or a bob which length was not to extend below the shirt collar. The concerns were that if women looked too feminine, they could distract the men inappropriately.

Never underestimate the power of one person fighting for change. The spark for new hair policies occurred after a random encounter between two Airmen (the term used for all Air Force service members). The fateful interaction between Tech. Sgt. Jonathon Lind (J.B. as he is known) and one of his female Airmen during a workday break is what inspired J.B. to advocate for change. As he recalled the encounter, he said “She told me about the pain she was experiencing with the hair regulations and how it didn’t work with her hair type or culture. ” She wasn’t trying to complain, she only wanted to bring up a point. (Photos Provided by Maj. Alea Nadeem).

FoundHER

Theresea Black Bon Appésweet

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HER NEXT

Mission

At that time, she had no idea what was happening or why. The tightening in her chest and the breathing difficulties caused her to open her eyes to what steps she needed to take next. From then she realized that she needed to find the right and proper tools to help her navigate through those difficult times of feeling overwhelmed. Reading this, you may be nodding your head and thinking of a time when you have felt this same way. All of the uncertainty about who you are out of the uniform and not knowing what your true passion is outside of your service. Don’t despair. You are amongst many other women who are also trying to find their place in this world again. According to an article from the Military Times dated back in 2012, many do not feel like military service is not just a job but rather an identity. Trying to find a new identity once you complete your time in service

can be one of the most difficult things that you have to do. Unless you know Smith on a deep personal level, you may have guessed that she struggled with low self esteem, depression, anxiety and loss of self identity. She learned that fighting this battle was very lonely and so she set out to keep other women from feeling that loneliness on their journey to a new identity. She wants you to know that you do not have to fight this battle alone. According to a Military Times Article dated August 14, 2019, women veterans are 1.8 times more likely than civilian women to commit suicide.

This is just one reason why she is so passionate about her work with other women veterans. Smith has worked tirelessly to find who she is, again. She is much more than who she thought she was and you can see it in her work. Smith’s passion radiates as she helps women all over the world to find their purpose personally, as well as spiritually. She believes that finding our purpose helps us navigate life as we deal with major life transitions, mental health struggles or traumas.

By: Joanna Sweatt

“We must follow, contribute, study, and scrutinize the trends that affect women in our nation and all over the world. It is our duty, our responsibility as women to uplift and empower other women.” We are now in year two of what I am referring to as the “Covid Years”. People all over the world have adjusted in ways they never imagined and women in the U.S., who have already been fighting an uphill battle towards constitutional equality, are being hit the hardest. Four times as many women as men dropped out of the labor force in September 2020, roughly 865,000 women compared with 216,000 men; validates predictions that the impact of the Covid-19

pandemic on women—and the accompanying child care and school crises—would be severe. The gender pay gap includes gender segregation in jobs, differences in educational attainment, caregiving responsibilities that fall heavily to women, a lack of pay transparency, discrimination, and bias.

Deployments I’ve been on multiple west coast deployments, many with stops in the middle east and the Asia Pacific region. I’ve spent time in combat zones stationed on an aircraft carrier, as well as on the ground in the southern Philippines working with Army and Navy Special Forces. One of my most memorable and rewarding experiences was taking part in Pacific Partnership 2014, which was the first landbased iteration of this humanitarian mission where I traveled with the Navy Seabees to Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

Current assignment I am a public affairs planner for Joint Planning Support Element, which provides augmentation support to combatant commands for contingency operations, such as a humanitarian disasters or combat missions. We also send teams who are trained in the joint planning process, public affairs, intelligence, knowledge management or logistics. Myself and my husband live in Norfolk, Virginia, and we have a Boxer named Jayda who also has her own social media presence. My husband runs a channel called ‘RWeCrazy’ where he and I tell the stories of our travels, getting good deals, and he shares his strategies for fixing anything mechanical.

Storytelling on social media Many of the stories I share are personal experiences, or they come from involvement with an organization that’s working to perform a service on behalf on their community. Besides serving in the Navy, I’ve been a part of groups that advocated for animal protection policy and teams that helped women become better leaders. Much of what I discuss online are my personal values which came from insights, observations and lessons I’ve gained over my life which have served me well such as taking ownership for my failures and living well below my means financially. I use blogs, graphics, imagery, video clips and personal interviews to tell stories. To be an effective communicator, I hone my skills through every medium. The social media channels allow me to use whatever canvas I choose that day to drive home a larger point. All of my stories have a point, be that to inspire, to educate, or to validate.

What has surprised you about response from people? Some of the posts which gain the most engagement is not particularly well thought out. Many are observations on a current news event. An example comes to mind when Tucker Carlson, a Fox commentator used the policy advancements of service women as a way to say that the Pentagon was focusing on the wrong priorities. He’s entitled to that opinion of course, but I felt it was a cheap shot at the expense of positive strides that help bring more women into the military. The coverage of his statements also helped me identify as a combat service member, something I never felt comfortable sharing prior to that point. The response from people on LinkedIn was so encouraging and overwhelmingly supportive. A similar response happened last year when I posted on my struggles getting my marksmanship qualification. I was so surprised how hard it was for me to pass. Feeling a bit downtrodden, I decided to share the journey using video clips failing at the range twice to finally passing the third visit after 90 days of non-stop practice. I saw it as an opportunity to film the work it takes to succeed as many posts on social media celebrate someone’s accomplishment, but we never see the grind that goes into getting to that point. I was able to share that using short clips, which at the same time better connected me to the people who follow my posts.

1. GET ON LinkedIn. I was laid off during the pandemic and another veteran told me LinkedIn offers a free one-year subscription to veterans: https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/v eterans/premiumform Set up your profile and start connecting with people in the industries and fields to which your skills translate.

Fast forward to separation year. You’re holding the out processing checklist and you see the Transition Assistance Program' on the list, which according to the Department of Veterans Affairs “provides information, resources, and tools to service members and their loved ones to help prepare for the move from military to civilian life.” Service members begin TAP one year before separation or two years before retiring.” This is too late. For some, there is no clear transition and so after 20 years they find themselves learning how to translate the bullets from their Enlisted Performance Review into layman's terms for their new civilian resume. Fortunately, as any veteran will tell you, your military experience shapes your mental fortitude to conquer anything that the civilian work sector may throw at you. There is hope, regardless of where you are in your military career. When it is time to leave the military behind you will know. Here are five things you can to be the writeHER of your own destiny.

2. Seek out your base education officer and learn about which schools will accept your military training as credits. Education counselors also make great career guidance counselors. 3. Every time you write an EPR/OPR, write a resume to match it! The verbiage will be hard to translate in some cases, though this will introduce you to formatting and best practices. Every time you ask for a reference, write an example of what you want your reference to say. Provide this to the person as a guide to include in the letter. If they don’t follow your format, they will introduce you to another. There are many acceptable formats in the civilian world. Your mind is blown, I know. 4. Seek out professional networking/volunteer groups related to your interest. Diversify yourself! Connect civilians to military service members and veterans. Invite a civilian to your world in the uniform. Share how your military experience shaped you. This is where change can happen. 5. Know that you are not alone! Many civilian resumes show diverse experiences and careers. Decision-makers will favor a candidate with a well-rounded perspective. Even if your AFSC/MOS doesn’t have a civilian counterpart, your experience does and is relevant! You decided to let service be a part of your foundation. Now decide to begin again.

d l

By: Laura Jones

There are trials for patients with a genetic predisposition to cancer and trials to prevent recurrence or getting cancer at all. Each trial is designed for a specific patient demographic and lists inclusion (things that must be true) and exclusion (things that cannot be true) criteria a patient must meet to qualify for enrollment into a study. Educate yourself on the various phases of clinical trials and connect with the clinical research community so you can make an informed decision with your healthcare provider. Even though cancer is a scary thing, you must face it and know everything about your diagnosis.

Watch your six! Be familiar with your diagnosis, and don't be afraid to engage in this conversation with your physician and seek second opinions if needed. Clinical trial navigators, nurse navigators, clinical research coordinators, who are trained professionals that will help you find suitable options to consider. Healing can come through the standard of care but have situational awareness of treatment options so that you are involved and informed. Learn more at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

The demands of being a woman warrior can be overwhelming, which is why the practice of daily affirmations is essential. Daily affirmations help you challenge and overcome self-sabotaging thoughts to persevere through life's trials. We asked fellow female service members what affirmations they used to stay focused on the mission and serve their people well, and they did not disappoint. When faced with failure, these two affirmations ground you in truth, strength and bravery. “Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Fearless. You are never alone.” - Joshua 1:9 paraphrase. “You're going to know failure if you're brave with your life.” - Brené Brown

When forced to tackle challenging obstacles, these five affirmations motivate you to push forward and keep going. “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” - David Allen “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.” - Theodore Roosevelt “I can do hard things.” - Glennon Doyle “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great” - Tom Hanks “I’m not here to be right, I'm here to get it right.” - Brené Brown Lastly, Christina Mattison, foundHER of Christina Mattison Yoga, shared three core values of her program explicitly designed to provide women in the military the chance to step away from whatever ties them down and find their true strength.

A N A VA L E N C I A , MILITAR Y MO T H E R H O O D

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June ActivateHER

There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s a lot wrong with the world you live in. —Chris Colfer

Between now and June 24th,

perform this workout to honor Eddie’s sacrifice and use

#LoredoStrong on any social media platform to connect with us.

Enjoy a spicy

mango

margarita from the blog

For the love of

gourmet

Still in uniform and rocking the new approved braid and ponytail? we wanna see you! Tag us on Instagram @freedomsistersmedia

Screenshot an affirmation to remind yourself how amazing you are!

Freedom Sisters Magazine | Women to Watch | June 2021