Freedom Sisters Magazine | Yes, She Can! | March 2021

FREEDOMSISTERS MARCH 2021 • ISSUE 3 • VOL 1

• AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS •

• MAGAZINE•

VETERANS BUILD A BETTER AMERICA: WOMEN GENERAL CONTRACTORS

POWER OF THE PIN-UP

HEROIC WOMEN WHO TURN THE PATRIARCHAL CASTE SYSTEM UPSIDE DOWN

ELINOR OTTO PowHERful March, PowHERful YOU!

REMINISCING WITH A 'ROSIE'

FreedomSisters Magazine

March 2021 | Vol. 1 | Issue 3 Publisher Freedom Sisters Media, LLC

EditHER-in-Chief Managing EditHER Contributing WritHERs HER Life MentHERship HERstory FoundHER LeadHER HER Next Mission Woman Warrior

HighlightHER SHEro Activation Cover Photographer

Click to Subscribe Letters to the Editor Marketing Opportunities

Kerri Jeter E.V. Moore

Naviere Walkewicz | Aaliyah Al-Mahdi | Brie Burgett Jennifer Rodriguez | Carrie Hammer | Jacqueline Zappey Amy Forsythe | Diali Coll-Mercado Kerri Jeter Kerri Jeter Laura Jones | Joanna Sweatt Kerri Jeter | Elis Salamone | Andrea Rathbun Amber Valencia | Jessica Morel Dana Richmond | Jennifer Ballou E.V. Moore Kerri Jeter Sammi Hadaller

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.

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What's Inside?

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Reminiscing with a 'Rosie' Veterans build a better America: Women General Contractors The power of the pin-up

PowHERful March, PowHERful you Say yes to stress donuts It's a [Wo]Man's World Conquering Kilimanjaro Journey to success What do you want from life?

Finding harmony when balance isn't an option A motHER's journey: From heartache to full house Women Entrepreneurs—Leap without regrets

04 The EditHER's Note 104 HighlightHER 108 Be HER

HERoic women who turn the patriarchal caste system upside down 78 BroJaq: Inside the influenceHER Hustle 82 Preparing financially for post-service adventures 86 You are good enough to pursue your passions 89 Injustice fatigue: How God's character helps persevere through an unjust world 92 Inspired affirmations from women HERoes 100 Float your mind and the rest will follow 74

WOMEN'S

HERSTORY Freedom, by definition, is people realizing that they are their OWN leaders.

-Diane Nash

Hello readHERs! We learn so much about our HERstory from reading and even more when we get to sit with living legends. As you can see from my face of utter happiness, as I sweetly clung to the arm of an unstoppable 'Rosie the riveter', Elinor Otto, the longest-serving riveter in HERstory.

Even at 101+years-old, she has no plans on slowing down, even though Covid-19 has hindered her going out and about, she still joyfully nad energetically walks the dog, checks the mail and meet with me in Las Vegas in the middle of a pandemic to share HER story, even parts that she has never shared with others before. To say it was magical, is an understatement. After more than three hours togetHER, my heart was bursting and my soul was so energized. I learned that she has a deep connection with her kid sister, Jean, unconditional love for aviation and eternal love for her late son, Ronnie and her late grandson, John.

The job she did for WWII to be won, was her duty, her part in the war efforts, she didn't know it at the time, but her legacy of service for long outlive the war and HER name will go down in HERstory. It is my distinct pleasure of providingyou a in-depth look at this amazing woman, sister, mother and friend.

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PowHERful March, PowHERful YOU! By: Naviere Walkewicz Amongst her eleven siblings, March pauses to reflect on the strength of women and their past contributions, celebrates women today and ensures a steadfast commitment to women in the future.

March is powHERful and so are you.

This month we celebrate the strength of women and highlight ways to move through all ranges of the mobility spectrum.

According to the Office of Women’s Health in the United States Department of Health & Human Services, “Being physically active is one of the most important steps you can take to get and stay healthy. Women of all ages and abilities benefit from getting active.

Everyone should try to be active for at least 30 minutes every day. Physical activity, or exercise, will help you feel better and be healthier.”

The video below illustrates ways you can be active with various mobility options. The workout focuses on cardiovascular activity and highlights five main exercises with the following variations: seated, low impact, traditional form, and high-impact.

Ready?

You got this. Be like March and recognize your powHER.

Like what you saw? Check out Coach Naviere in her mighty network community – naviereLIFE at https://navierelife.mn.co/landing.

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SAY YES TO STRESS DONUTS

Recipe and Article By: Amber Markland

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Lucky for you these mini baked cinnamon sugar donuts are the perfect little snack.

Add a few green sprinkles to the sugar and you will be more than ready for St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

This simple recipe is light and fluffy, tossed in cinnamon and sugar and kinda healthy since they are baked and not fried.

Say YES girl!!

Ingredients For the Donuts

5 TBSP (71 gr) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup (99 gr) sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup (113 gr) milk 1 tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking powder pinch salt 1 & 1/2 cups (181 gr) all-purpose flour For the Topping

1/4 cup (57 gr) butter, melted 1/4 cup (50 gr) sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon

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Instructions Preheat oven to 325ºF. Lightly oil mini donut pan and set aside (alternatively you can use an electric mini donut maker or mini muffin pans) In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix until just combined (mixture will look curdled).

Add in the baking powder and the salt and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the flour just until combined. You don't want to over-mix this batter.

If using mini donut pan, transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or into a ziplock baggie with the tip cut off.

Pipe into the pan only filling 1/2 of the way fill.

If using the mini muffin pan, fill each well 1/2 full Bake at 325ºF for 8-10 minutes. *If using a mini donut maker, bake for 4-5 minutes.

Allow to cool just slightly before dipping in the topping.

Melt the butter for the topping and set aside.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Dip each donut lightly in the melted butter then roll in cinnamon and sugar.

Link to amazon for the perfect donut pan (not affiliated.). https://amzn.to/3rsKei9

Photo credit: Cast and Forge Photography Donuts: Sift and Gather

By: Aaliyah Al-Mahdi

From intense triathlons to mountain climbing and extreme sports, to leading the pack in the craft brewing and distilling space, women are pushing boundaries, testing their limits and making waves in traditionally male-dominated spaces.

Girl power has never been more real, and I think we can all agree that we’re here for it!

The climbing industry is growing, and some of the biggest fans of this incredible sport are women.

It’s a great full-body workout that incorporates cardio with strength training, and there’s the added bonus of a sense of exhilHERation once you reach the top of the summit.

There’s so much support from women in the climbing world that there are several women-owned climbingrelated businesses like Crusher Climbing, a company that makes colorful climbing clothing for women and Dirt Chalk Bags, an eco-friendly artist-made climbing gear company.

Move over male fitness trainers, there are new leaders on the rise.

This year Robin Arzon, VP of Fitness Programming at Peloton, shattered misconceptions around what a pregnant woman can accomplish physically.

Robin led intense workouts via the Peloton app rocking her growing baby bump—and she totally kicked butt while doing it.

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It’s a [Wo]Man’s World: How Women Are Crushing Traditionally Male-Dominated Arenas

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But physical boundaries aren’t just being pushed by famous fitness instructors or Instagram influencers.

After doing several sprint distance triathlons while her husband attended flight school in the Army, Michele Infusino wanted to see if she could challenge herself even further.

She signed up for a Half Ironman, a triathlon that consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. She trained for almost a year and admits her first long rides of 50 miles were tough and required a lot of self-motivation to keep from giving up.

“I would do it all over again because I love the training, the discipline needed and the massive feeling of accomplishment,” Infusino said of the experience.

These barriers aren’t just being broken in the athletic world.

Women are making a splash in the craft beverage industry, too.

In what’s long been a male-dominated industry, women have made strides over the past decade and are becoming successful brewers.

There are a few newer craft brewing companies co-owned by women like Final Draft Taphouse in Vancouver, WA. a craft brewery owned by husband and wife duo Mike and Kimberly.

As well as Tradesman Brewing Co in Charleston, SC., ran by husband and wife Scott and Sara.

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So, maybe you’re inspired by the experiences of the women in this article and want to try a new hobby but you aren’t sure where to start.

Get tips from experts, find a new group of peers and discover what you need to be successful in your new endeavHERs by subscribing to podcasts, reading blogs or following social media influencers.

She Explores podcast is for and about women who are inspired by time spent outside. This podcast covers themes such as solo hiking and camping, and other outdoor experiences.

Trail Running Women podcast is a place where women share their stories about running, racing and life.

Alyssa, better known by her Instagram handle @southernbeergirl , is the head brewer at Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery in Denver. Alyssa’s IG feed is full of colorful images of her making and drinking beer and her outdoor adventures with beer in hand.

Heather Greene is the CEO of Provision Spirits, the makers of Milam & Greene Whiskey. Her Instagram @thewhiskeyauthority is worth a follow even if you’re not a whiskey aficionado, thanks to Heather’s knowledge and her Whiskey School videos, you might find yourself developing a taste for the smooth spirit.

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Conquering Kilimanjaro Overcoming Physical and Mental Mountains By: Brie Burgett

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The icy cold wind is whipping snow into your eyes making it difficult to see in the dim morning light as you crunch through the final exhausting steps to touch the base of the large wooden sign marking the summit of Kilimanjaro.

As the sun begins to crest over the horizon and fill the sky with streaks of red, you enjoy the moment of silence and the victory of summiting one of the world’s famed Seven Summits.

Suddenly the past few hours of trekking uphill in the frozen darkness and the days of hiking before that brought this moment, begin to fade away and the weariness is replaced by a sense of accomplishment.

That is the smallest and most unforgettable memory from climbing Kilimanjaro for me. After four days of hiking up Africa’s tallest mountain, the summit morning started around midnight when the winds shaking my tent hurled snow across the dark steep path ahead.

However, when I think back on the experience, the first thing that comes to mind is those final steps to the summit and being greeted by the glowing sun as it crested the horizon and illuminated the vast plains sprawling below.

Isn’t it striking how when we overcome the mountains in our life, we tend to forget the challenges we had to overcome and our memories hone in on the final victories?

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We realize that we had what it took and that we have so much more potential in us ready to push ourselves to the next challenge.

That is exactly why now is the time to pick a mountain and climb it this year. A year from now, the sweat, hours of training, and hard work will be fading memories yet the accomplishment will last a lifetime.

The mental climb.

For me Kilimanjaro signified one of the pinnacle goals for both adventure and travel as it rises between Kenya and Tanzania in Africa’s heart and spans from blazing heat at the base of the mountain to the frozen tundra at the top.

When the opportunity finally came to go, I was nervous about investing the money and time into this massive undertaking.

What if I did not make the summit?

What if I got altitude sickness on the way up and was forced to turn back?

What if the weather turned bad on summit morning?

Finally, I decided this was something I would regret not trying, put the what if’s aside and booked the guided climb.

The physical climb.

It turns out the trek was not nearly as arduous as I anticipated as we kept a very slow and steady pace. My guide Joe kept repeating the mantra “pole pole” which means slowly, slowly in Swahili.

I was convinced we could pick up the pace, but I trusted his expertise after years of leading successful summits.

On the mountain, I met people from all walks of life, all ages, and all fitness ability levels. It may have been more physically challenging for some, but everyone was in it together as we shared the same sunrises, the same views of the mountain, the same challenging portions of trail, and the same laughs around the base camps at night.

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Practical information for planning your climb: Time of Year: The mountain is technically open for climbing yearround, but the best times of year are January to mid-March when it is warmest and there is the least chance of precipitation followed by late June through October.

However, during these times there tend to be the largest amount of group climbs and heavy foot traffic. The rainy season typically lasts from the end of March through June and November through early December.

It is important to keep in mind though that at any time of year the weather on the mountain is quite unpredictable and can rapidly change from clear sunny skies to a downpour moments later.

It is best to schedule the hike during the dry periods but remain prepared for the rain.

Training: It is definitely advantageous to be in good physical shape before making the climb to improve your chances of completing Kilimanjaro.

I typically do cardio 3-4 times per week and leading up to the climb, I added using the stair-stepper at the gym with a weighted pack (gradually increasing weight) about once a week.

Again, it is not a strenuous or difficult hike but it does require physical endurance to be able to climb continuously for several hours every day.

Altitude is another key aspect, but it cannot be trained in the same way. The best recommendation is to try smaller climbs to see how you feel at higher altitudes. There are also medicines like Diamox which can prevent and reduce symptoms.

I brought some with me in case I started experiencing any of the symptoms, but never used any on the climb.

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The Route: There are seven main ascent routes up Kilimanjaro that vary in difficulty and length.

Each route has its pros and cons based on the number of days for acclimatization, steepness of the trails, variance in the ecosystems, but are relatively comparable for price and days.

I chose the Machame Route which is known as the “Whiskey” route because of its comparatively longer and steeper path. It is popular due to the beautiful and varied scenery on this route resulting in larger numbers of crowds hiking during the high season, but is recommended for those with some hiking experience.

My assumption was that the trail would be moderately challenging, but after starting the hike I quickly realized that it was far easier than I had anticipated.

Several guides said that Machame is their favorite, but success rates are fairly similar across any route.

Make this the year to put the what-ifs and mental reservations aside and take the leap.

The journey will take dedicated effort and certainly be challenging, but you will come out stronger and with memories of a lifetime on the other side!

ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BRIE BURGETT

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Journey to success: ways to overcome obstacles and accomplish your goals Let’s be real for a moment.

By Diali Coll-Mercado Edited by E.V. Moore

Most of us, at one point or another, are faced with a challenge that we would like to overcome or a goal we’d like to accomplish but for some reason, we keep running into walls.

Often, people may think this answer is simple for military women who have been trained to go over, around, or through literal walls; however, we had to be trained to do that!

How does a person get over, around or through those walls?

That varies person to person but here are some strategies that might help anyone start to tackle their own walls.

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Prepare a path: You would never head out to a land navigation course without a map and overcoming a wall is no different. Having a path is critical to your success.

In order to create a path, you need to know where you want to finish, so map out how you will get there. This planning stage is critical and will require you to gather information so ask all the questions you need to ask.

If you have questions about paying off debt, meet with a financial planner or google financial planning advice online. If you are wanting to go to school, look up admissions deadlines and requirements. Find out the necessary information on your destination and then create your roadmap.

Get ready to pivot: If for some reason something changes or gets in the way, just pivot!

Life has never been exactly as we plan it to be. Many things in life can cause us to pivot. When this happens it is important to remember that trajectory is not always linear and that sometimes you will strategically fallback to regroup and try a different way or you may be able to quickly pivot and keep your momentum in a slightly different direction.

The important part is to remember that a pivot does not mean a stop.

Surround yourself with positivity: Surround yourself with people who support you and bring positivity into your life, negative people can drain your spirit.

You can be your own cheerleader by posting positive notes all over your house, car or workplace, which might be your house at this point (#covid). I’ve been accused several times of being selfish or snooty when reality was that I had my mind on a mission and didn’t want to be surrounded with people or environments that would not be helpful for me.

There is nothing selfish, snooty or rude about focusing on yourself.

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Persist- Now is the time to persist. Not all days will have the same progress because everyone gets tired but those who persist succeed.

Set a schedule and stick to it because consistency is key, make the schedule work for you. Work with yourself not against yourself.

Reward yourself: Most certainly, celebrate when the goal is accomplished or the challenge is completed, however, celebrate along the way too!

During your planning phase, you likely set up milestones and you should celebrate when you reach those. If you’re in the midst of paying down ten thousand dollars in debt, celebrate at every $1,000 you pay off. If you are working on a book, celebrate finishing a chapter.

When I was working on a very time-consuming and detailed website for a client, I would stop at the end of specific sections, which were established at the start and give myself a high five and a popsicle. That sounds silly, right?

But it truly gave me a mental break and the popsicle (Outshine pineapple… yummy) was like heaven. It can be whatever makes you happy, it’s your reward after all.

Though you are the only one who can walk your path, you should never feel like you’re alone, as there are many of your sisters (any branch) that support you.

If you feel alone, reach out to your mentHER, a friend or to us at Freedom Sisters, which has a great community of positive women who are here to see you succeed.

Now, go make your plan and then get out there and do it!

You’ve got this!

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By

Amy

Forsythe

For many of us, we put life on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Now that we’re turning the corner and resuming our lives, you may be bursting at the seams to launch a new career path, start a business or are making plans for a big life change.

With so many big goals and ambitions within arm’s reach, it may be a good time to take inventory of what skills, education and experiences you’ll need to start a new project.

While in the military, our NCOs and senior officers often chartered our course for us, which didn’t leave much room for creativity or decisions.

Now that you’re free from the day-to-day military requirements, making big decisions can be overwhelming and sometimes paralyzing. In response to this, there’s been a growing demand for coaching services to help people reach business goals and life coaches.

According to a 2017 Forbes,com article, “Coaching is estimated to be a $2 billion global industry that is rapidly growing, as evidenced by a dramatic increase in coaches, professional coaching organizations and coaching-related research.

Life coaches can help you by designing actions, creating awareness, planning, goalsetting and managing progress and accountability.

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Are you ready to invest in yourself?

IDIG, LLC is a Leading Veteran Team that will help you with Individual or Group Coaching/Mentoring for your business or professional development. https://idigllc.com/ What’s the difference between mentor and coach?

Mentoring is focused on relationships where the mentor forms a more personal bonding with the mentored, sharing the factors and situations that affect the professional and personal successes and failures.

A mentor offers guidance beyond skills and expertise by including issues like work-life balance, boosting confidence, improving self-image, success mindset and how professional and personal life affect each other.

Coaching is meant for a short duration and improving performance.

Coaching involves enriching the present skills or acquiring new skills required to attain the goal that the trainees have in mind.

Once the task or job is done, the relation between the coach and the coached dwindles away as the coaching is no longer necessary.

According to an article for Inc.com, Jessica Zemple, writes “Before investing any time in selecting the best coach, it is critical for you to ask yourself one simple question. Are you truly ready for a change?”

The single, most important part of any successful coaching relationship is whether you are ready to change and mentally ready to do the work.

There are several areas of our complicated and busy lives that might need that extra push and accountability.

Here’s a short list of areas you might want to consider a life coach: Self-confidence, time management and work/life balance are strong motivators for seeking coaching.

Career opportunities, business management and work performance are also core motivators.

Improving relationships, interpersonal and communication skills, and family dynamics are reasons people seek out coaching.

Physical fitness and wellness are also areas clients consult with life coaches.

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Is a life coach right for me?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself if getting a life or business coach is right for you: What is it you want to accomplish?

Are you coachable and comfortable with deadlines and ‘homework’ to achieve your goals?

What does success look like for you?

Are you prepared to accept challenges and move forward?

Are you ready to put fear aside and pursue your goals?

While mentorship will always have a place in our lives as veterans, seeking out a life coach in a particular area is becoming more and more popular and there’s no shortage of ‘coaches’ out there to help push you to reach your goals. T here are life coaches who tailor their services to veterans only and can customize their coaching to fit your specific needs.

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Finding harmony when balance isn’t an option

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American society tells us that work-life balance is the holy grail.

In work-life balance, every area of your life receives equal portions of your time and energy.

When we achieve this balance our time is evenly split between our spouse, children, work, and passions, etc.

Is it even possible to split our time like that?

The short answer is, no.

By Cynthia Cline

When our job is to serve our country, that job will often overtake our identity and life—it is the top priority because that is the oath we took.

We aren’t given many opportunities to say no and setting work boundaries is inconceivable.

Then, include the double burden working women carry of managing a career and home— balance seems impossible.

So, how do military women achieve balance? We don’t, we just find ways to harmonize the priorities in our life.

Every good symphony has harmony, and the purpose of harmony is not equality but rather ensuring all parts work together for success.

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Seeking Harmony How do women service members currently achieve work-life harmony? We set out to get advice from women who are currently serving or recently separated/retired.

Most advice focused on these three tips: Identify your priorities.

Understand who you are and what you define as success.

Make a plan using your priorities and definition of success.

By prioritizing your life by what is important to you and planning for success, even when your life is unbalanced, there will be harmony.

Work Life Harmony Advice For Women who served.

Make a deliberate effort to make friends (in and out of work) and establish a network of support at every base you’re stationed. It’s easy to think you're a superwoman and you can handle everything on your own, but whether it’s someone that will watch one kid while you take the other to urgent care or just someone to drink wine on your couch while the kids play, friendships are vital. ...You’re definitely a superwoman, but you can be even stronger with other superheroes. - Capt. Bridget Pantaleon, USAF I had to rediscover who I was outside of my identity within the military. I wish I had ‘found myself’ earlier by learning to define success and value internally, rather than by how the military defined me. - Capt. Christina Mattison, USAF Reservist/Milspouse As a Dual-mil couple, with the ranks of colonel and lieutenant colonel, in the same career field; with 2 daughters here is my advice: define your own success, run out of career before you run out of family! Be okay with having a successful career even if it looks different than your peers (success is by your measurement, not others).- Col. Angela Freeman, USAF Sisters, be encouraged. Let us stop striving for work-life balance and, instead, strive for harmony.

If you struggle with prioritization, one practical tool is the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets Planner. This goal planner can help you focus on the big picture while cultivating habits and planning goals, helping you to obtain the illusive work-life harmony we all desperately crave.

HERstory

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Reminiscing with a 'Rosie' By: Kerri Jeter

“All the day long whether rain or shine. She’s a part of the assembly line. She’s making history, working for victory—Rosie the Riveter. Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage. Sitting up there on the fuselage. That little frail can do more than a male will do—Rosie the Riveter.”

From the Song Rosie the Riveter written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb.

K

nown for her role in breaking down barriers for women in the workplace, Elinor Otto has become a role model and inspiration for countless women who have heard the telling of her story. What started as a call to service became her legacy—she is the longest serving Rosie the Riveter of all time.

Elinor was sitting at a diner on the boardwalk in Santa Monica, CA, grabbing some breakfast with her mother and stepfather when a special report interrupted their meal.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” began President Franklin Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt called the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor a “date which will live in infamy,” in the now-famous address to the nation and asked Congress to declare war.

“Mike, my stepfather had served in the Navy told us, ah, don't worry. We're not going to have a war. That is what he said,” recalls Elinor. “But then they start[ed] advertising for women to work so the men could go fight.”

Mike, of course, mispredicted the severity of the attack and by the first week in January 1942, Elinor was on the line working as a ‘Rosie’.

By 1943, more than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry— making up 65% of the industry’s total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years). While women during World War II worked in a variety of positions that were previously closed to women, the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers.

Elinor was beautiful, with bright blue eyes and dark hair piled high, when she joined a small group of women at Rohr Aircraft Corp. in Chula Vista, Ca., during World War II. “They say you're going to build airplanes. Well, they just gave us the things to start working. Back in those days, there was a riveting machine that you put your foot in like you do a sewing machine,” said Elinor. “So, I did that for a while until we got the rivet guns.”

Elinor was never asked to be a welder or given any other option in the factory, except to rivet on aircraft. Which she was perfectly content doing alongside her youngest sister, Jean, who also worked as a riveter, while an older sister, Evelyn became a welder.

“I like airplanes and all that stuff,” she began. “My sister Jean and I would go to the movies, cowboys movies, things like that. And then we liked airplane movies, as long as they didn't have women in them. We just wanted to see the men and the airplanes.”

She wasn’t hired for her skill, but they quickly learned how valuable Elinor and women like her were to the process. Most of the men, that didn’t go to war, tried hard to date the girls, even going as far as setting standards in the application process to ask questions about personal features like eye color.

“I was there to build airplanes, some men couldn’t make up their minds if they wanted us there or not,” said Elinor. “At first, they didn’t want us there, then all of a sudden they were very happy. There were a lot of marriages and divorces that happened.”

A single mother, Elinor served as a riveter— quite frankly she needed to work to support herself and her son.

This was a perfect job for someone who loved airplanes, enjoyed a hard day’s work and who had a lot of energy.

Elinor may now be 101-years old but she still is spry and full of life—truly unstoppable.

Elinor quickly earned the respect of her team by proving her skills in all phases of the assembly process.

Building a fuselage requires a high demand for physical labor from the beginning to the final seal, but surprisingly also requires a delicate touch.

I loved riveting because it kept me busy, drilling was the final part of the work

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“I loved riveting because it kept me busy, drilling was the final part of the work, but all the preliminaries that have to take place before the final part, the seal,” said Elinor. And oh, the seal was the worst part because it had to be perfect.”

Often when we think of riveting, we think of strength needed to perform the work—I know I do.

Building big airplanes requires big nuts and bolts, right?

Well, not quite.

Most factories had the women work in pairs, one as the riveter and another as a bucket.

The riveter used a gun to shoot rivets through the metal and fasten it together.

“When you are working on the fuselage, it requires great skill to ensure you didn’t make a mess of the thin skin. It required that you had a bucker on the inside, to meet the riveter right on time,” Elinor described. “It was known to not let the men have the rivet gun, we were more delicate and precise.”

Elinor happily worked as a riveter until America won the war in 1945, but as the men came home and went back to work, many women were forced out of their jobs.

Everyone was so overjoyed, they celebrated in the streets.

Elinor started her 68-year career, yes you read that right, as a 23-year-old, only taking a short break when the war was over. The men came home and the women were forced out of work.

“I mean, it was exciting, but we didn't know we did anything great then. The men came back! We were so happy that so many did, in fact, come back and got their jobs back. And we didn't resent it at all, not at all,” recalls Elinor.

“So, we just left and said goodbye, and that was it. And nobody paid attention to us or that we did anything big until six generations later.”

After 14 years of working for Ryan, they were no longer manufacturing aircraft, so the production line was shut down and Elinor, along with her coworkers, were out of a job, again.

Ten months later, she got a call that Douglas Aircraft Company was hiring women again— the first time since the war.

So, she drove up to Long Beach and waited in the hiring line so she could keep riveting.

In order to continue supporting her son, Elinor needed to find work right away and she needed a job that required energy, something to keep her moving.

Douglas guaranteed her ten years of work but luckily for Elinor, she worked there until 2015, when the plant closed down.

She was even a carhop for some time—until they required the gals to wear roller skates.

The closing of the Long Beach plant was expected but jarring.

Elinor Was soon hired by Ryan Aeronautical and worked alongside the same men who built the Spirit of St. Louis for Lindberg.

For more than seven decades, the 1.1millionsquare-foot plant had been a fixture of the Long Beach landscape and economy.

The Douglas Aircraft Company, later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas, when it then operated as a division of McDonnell Douglas.

McDonnell Douglas later merged with Boeing in 1997. This was the primary location that supplied aircraft to the U.S. Air Force since 1941, just before the U.S. entered World War II. When McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing, they began to produce the C-17 Globemaster III—a four-engine military cargo jet—every single C-17 that has ever flown in the Air Force to date, Elinor has helped build!

Elinor was one of the 3,800 who were impacted by the closure, being forced to retire at the age of 95, after 6- years of dedicated service.

Although her riveting days are over, her legacy will live forever in each of us who answers the nation’s call to serve.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force photo Airman 1st Class Michelle Ulber)

Elinor in the 40's.

Elinor and her sister, Jean.

Photos provided by Elinor Otto.

Elinor in the 40's.

Elinor’s Younger Years Riveting was everything to Elinor—it was a chance to provide and make a life for herself. We know so much about her career and life as a riveter, but she exclusively shares with Freedom Sisters Magazine, much more about her personal life—giving us some never before told stories.

Elionor was born the third youngest of four daughters to teenage parents, Adeline and William, under complicated circumstances.

“My mother was 14 when she got married and my father was 20 or 21, something like that. He was always saying to her, my mother did this, or my mother did it that way. So my mom decided to get a divorce,” recounts Elinor.

“So she took the two younger girls and he took the two older girls to his mother on a farm in Oklahoma and we stayed in California.”

When the family was divided it was decided that there would be no contact between the two parties, Elinor’s father was very clear about his expectations.

The girls knew they had sisters, but the girls would never know one another until later in life.

“In fact, my mom was still pregnant with my younger sister, Jean, when my dad left us in California,” said Elinor. “I must have been about three. It was rough, it wasn’t easy. But Jean was my best friend and we were inseparable.”

A childhood dream of being a girl scout was never fulfilled because they didn’t have much money.

In fact, they were so impoverished, their mother had to place the girls in a Catholic orphanage for a while.

“As long as we were together, my younger sister and I didn't care what happened about anything as long as we were together. We were so very close,” recounts Elinor. “We had some good years, my mom got married to Mike, he was in the Navy. She married him because he said he would take both of us as his girls.”

The family moved to Panama when the Navy needed Mike to report for duty there.

Back in those days, there was no air conditioning so Elinor describes her time there as hot and miserable with lots of spiders.

A Young Elinor loved adventure, but didn’t like the tropics—it was just too hot.“I spent a year and a half in Panama. A miserable year.

"The minute I got there, I wanted to come back because there was a big spider going up the wall,” Elinor shares. “It was so hot and miserable, we couldn't sleep with the blanket, not even a sheet until I saw Frankenstein. When I saw that face I had to sleep with a sheet over my head. I was never so scared.”

Elinor loved the movie theater and recalled going to the movies a lot with her kid sister, Jean.

They would pay their dime and go see cowboy movies, airplane movies and more, their favorite being the airplane movies.

But the love of theater goes back to vaudeville days.

Vaudeville is a type of entertainment popular chiefly in the US in the early 20th century, featuring a mixture of specialty acts such as burlesque comedy and song and dance.

During one traveling show featuring Ted Lewis, before his “Me and My Shadow Days,” Elionor and Jean, went to the show each day.

“I don’t know how we made it to the front row, no one paid for that,” smiles Elinor.

“They didn't kick us out like they do now.

So he's looked down there at us on the one last show and said, are you girls still here? We had a lot of adventures, we were just so happy together.”

Ted Lewis and his longtime shadow Charlie "Snowball" Whittier performing "Me and My Shadow" c. 1940.

Photo courtesy of The Ted Lewis Museum, Circleville, Ohio www.tedlewismuseum.org

Of all the adventures these two youngsters had, Elinor shares with us probably the most daring of all——The time she and Jean ran away.

When Elinor was 11 or 12—years old, money was still tight for the family along with the need to get the girls new shoes, Elinor thought if the girls ran away, then the family would not have to worry about them or any needs they may have. So that is just what they did.

“So we packed up a little bit of things in a suitcase and away we went, we walked out and then we walked over a bridge to the bus station. When we were on the bridge our suitcase opened up and everything including our panties fell over. We were embarrassed because the fishermen were there,” said Elinor. “But we kept going. When we made it to the bus stop, we had no money, I don’t know where we thought we were going.”

With no money of their own and unsure of what was going to happen to them, when they arrived at the bus stop, a young man saw their need and gave the girls a $5 bill.

“So the five dollars bought us two bus tickets and three nights in a hotel, where we ate something fancy every night,” reminisces Elinor. “We were sitting there after our money was gone talking about what we would eat if we had money, when one of my mother’s friends knocked on the door, rescued us, put us back on the bus and told the driver to keep an eye on us.”

Much to their mother’s relief, they made it home safe and sound. The adventures of Elinor and Jean are many, their love and connection ran deep.

When they were growing up they were too young to recall having other sisters, but the older girls knew about them and they would one day set out on their own adventure to find their two little sisters.

In the late 1920s, there was a radio program about missing persons, that the oldest sister, Evelyn, listened to regularly.

So, she went to the station, discussed the situation with the team, they investigated it and found her younger two sisters out in California!

Evelyn, went out west but Edna was not willing to leave Oklahoma until sometime later.

But Evelyn, came out to California off and on, staying with the younger sisters, and eventually found a job.

In fact, when Elinor and Jean went into riveting, Evelyn went to northern California to be a welder during the war.

Eventually, Elinor would go on to meet her other long-lost sister and even her father, who she wasn’t impressed with, later in life.

Although she suffered a broken heart from being abandoned by her father and, later, her ex-husband, two other men healed those broken parts—her son, Ronnie, and grandson, John.

A dedicated mom and a doting grandmother.

As a divorcee, Elinor was required to work, even before the call for riveters. Her iconic job was ironically a practical need for her to care for her only son.

She never thought much about it other than it was good work and it kept her busy.

Finding an apartment to live with her child was impossible to find, so she ended up boarding her son with a caregiver for $20 a week —on a 65 cent an hour wage.

“I just thought I did the best I could under the circumstances. He had a real nice lady that took care of him,” said Elinor. “She had a couple of kids of her own too. And, you know, I was friends with her for a long time.”

When the whistle blew on Fridays, she would go get her son and they would enjoy the weekend going to ballroom dancing halls with big orchestra bands.

The two really loved music and as Elinor tells the story of her son, she smiles from ear to ear.In all her years of riveting and raising her son, Elinor says that life was an adventure and she valued hard work and making a way for herself.

She was asked by Hollywood producers to leave the riveting world behind, her looks are timeless and her wit, but wasn’t attracted to that kind of lifestyle.

She recalled that no matter the tasks at hand, nothing was too hard to figure out. With a little ingenuity and hard work anything is possible.

I did the best I could under the circumstances.

Elinor with her son, Ronnie.

(Courtesy of Elinor).

“Well, I think the women are doing wonderful now. And if you have something that you want to do, do it,” declares Elinor. “It don't matter what anybody says, because a lot of people get jealous and say things like maybe you shouldn't do this or do that. Do it anyway.”

She did just that herself, finding a way to work and raise her only son—eventually became a grandmother. He encouraged her to tell her story, he told her it was a powerful story — one where she was the heroine, saving lives, bringing positive influence for women and the female workforce.

As he grew up, Elinor taught him culture, etiquette and even proper grammar. She would even “red ink” his spelling mistakes in letters he would write to her.

She also passed down to her grandson love of aircraft, which became a common bond between Elinor and John, who loved the C-17. They even shared an incredibly special moment when John and Elinor got to share their first flight in a C-17!

Elinor has outlived everyone she has ever loved—her sisters, her son and even her grandson who passed away in 2019. John was a very special treasure to Elinor.

Left: Elinor and John (courtesy of Elinor) Right photos: In December 2017, Elinor Otto, who helped build each of the 279 C-17s in the Air Force inventory, enjoyed her first flight with Grandson John March Air Reserve Base in California. (Photo by: U.S. Air Force photo Airman 1st Class Michelle Ulber)

Elior enjoys a day of fun with girls scouts by celebrating her 99th birthday and becoming an honorary Girl Scout, fulfilling a childhood dream. (Courtesy of Elinor and Madeline LeBeau) “Well, I lost my son in 2012, he had heart problems and we didn't know John had it too, you know, congestive heart failure. So it's been rough. It's been seven years ago for me,” said Elinor.

“But you got to survive. They say you gotta keep living and doing the best you can. But he said in a couple of letters, it don't matter what happens. I will always be with you. He's still with me. They both are.”

As the interview came to an end, I realized that this woman, although a HERstorical treasure, is a woman just like me and just like you—living life, loving hard and serving well.

She is more than her job and the dedication she gave this country but the lasting legacy of her love and the joy in her eyes will always be with me.

I think we often get caught up in the milestones or the impossible feats of life, but it's not about the big moments, it's about the way you live in those moments.

Of all the moments that Elinor could have shared with me, she shared one that she most cherishes —on her 99th birthday, she was named an Honorary Girl Scout in Virginia at the Girl Scout national Campground, fulfilling her childhood dream.

They planted three Rosie the Riveter rose bushes, a ceremonial groundbreaking presentation was planned and Elinor was asked to pose for photos but in true Elinor form, she dug all three holes for the roses.

Proving to all—young and old—no matter where life takes you—you can achieve the possible.

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A MotHER's Journey: From heartache to full house BY: JACQUELINE ZAPPEY

Disclaimer: This article is focused on the sensitive topic of miscarriages and child loss. There are strong feelings about the language used around miscarriage, stillbirth, pregnancy loss, infant loss, and child loss.

Some feel the term ‘miscarriage’ carries a tone of blame and that ‘pregnancy loss’ feels minimizing and invalidating.

For the purpose of this article, we will use the terms that are most commonly used, to help people find this information, but we support whatever terminology you feel best reflects your experience.

Lastly, this article reflects the experience of one woman veteran, who boldly writes about her experience in efforts to help others who have dealt with similar circumstances.

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Serving in the military is no easy feat especially with children and trying to conceive. “We didn’t issue you a family in your seabag for a reason” was a common saying in the Navy.

Essentially this meant mission first, family second.

My husband, Jake, and I both served on active duty with two young children; Aryona and Brayden.

Although I loved being in the Navy, as I continued to serve I realized in my heart my family was first and the mission was second.

As a result of my challenges to become pregnant, carry my babies to term, and thrive in motHERhood, this is my story of navigating what was best for my family and how I became my own advocate.

Brayden was the first child I birthed. Jake and I wanted to start a family immediately.

Honestly, we didn’t have to try hard to conceive Brayden and after one attempt, I told my husband immediately after that I thought I was pregnant.

I was so certain that I was in fact pregnant, I trusted my intuition and told him before I even had a positive test. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to get pregnant—not knowing how difficult my future pregnancies would be.

Nine months postpartum in 2011, I became pregnant again and quickly realized how hard it could be to stay pregnant. Six weeks into my pregnancy I had a dating scan to verify how far along I was.

Baby Zappey was so tiny and cute with a strong heartbeat.

During a routine 10 week ultrasound we received the devastating news that would forever change our lives; I had a missed miscarriage.

This meant my body didn’t realize the baby had passed away. I was a healthy 21-year-old. How could this happen to a healthy, young person who followed all the pregnancy guidelines?

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In 2019, The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research published, “Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. But the actual number is likely higher because many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman doesn't realize she's pregnant.

At the time I was given a couple of days of light-duty to recover from my first miscarriage, not for any others. My heart had just been ripped from my soul and I was immediately back to work.

According to Pawlyk, “Now, women who have pregnancies that last fewer than 20 weeks will also be given a grace period: Women whose pregnancy ends in a miscarriage between 12 and 20 weeks “will have a fitness assessment exemption of 180 days,” the AFI said. “A pregnancy duration of up to 12 weeks will have a fitness assessment exemption of up to 60 days.”

This is when my self-advocacy journey began. As a result of my first miscarriage, I requested testing. I was told by a dismissive doctor that these things happen and testing is reserved for those who have had three or more miscarriages.

Unfortunately, I went on to miscarry numerous times again in September 2011, December 2011, March 2012 and April 2012.

Each time I was approximately four to nine weeks along. After my last miscarriage, I advocated strongly for testing. However, testing was no longer an option for me since my enlistment was expiring.

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My journey to becoming pregnant did not end with my military contract. I conceived again and gave birth to our second son, Brock, in April of 2013. After Brock, I went on to miscarry two more times —totaling a devastating six miscarriages.

I advocated for testing to find a reason for my recurrent miscarriages. My doctor was hesitant to test and wanted me to wait until I had a 3rd miscarriage as a civilian. I was grateful that with my 6th miscarriage they were able to do karyotype testing and found out I was pregnant with a baby girl, Bree, who passed away from Triploidy.

Triploidy is a rare chromosomal abnormality where the babies end up with 3 sets of chromosomes.

This diagnosis is almost always fatal. Grief was becoming too much to bear, I didn’t have the strength to miscarry any more of our children.

Our family was not complete at this point so I demanded that we get testing done before we conceived another baby. I started doing a ton of research.

The first step was to meet with a geneticist. The tests came back with no abnormal findings. I was not satisfied with that answer. I scheduled an appointment with a naturopath doctor.

We discussed, at length, my past pregnancies and came up with a plan to move forward.

This plan involved numerous blood draws and appointments. I was extremely anxious and worried we would never receive answers, but I was also very hopeful that we may finally be gifted with some sense of closure.

The tests concluded that low Progesterone, with the exception of my last miscarriage, was the cause of my recurrent miscarriages.

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With my two next pregnancies, I urgently requested to begin Progesterone suppositories from my primary care physician as soon as I received positive pregnancy tests. At first, they were hesitant, I even had to switch doctors to make this happen, but nevertheless, I persisted.

I went on to deliver two more handsome boys; Bronson in April 2017 and Brodin in October 2020. The overwhelming joy I had delivering these two boys can never be conveyed.

Support from my family and friends kept me going during this difficult time in my life. The determination to find out why I was suffering from recurrent miscarriages was also a huge motivating factor to keep me going.

Advocating for myself allowed me to do the research necessary and find out the questions I needed to ask so I could carry our last two babies to term.

If you are experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss, here are some questions you can ask your doctor to advocate for yourself.

Having recurrent miscarriages doesn’t have to be “normal”. And please remember, this is NOT your fault!

When can I try again?

What genetic tests are available to me?

Can we do a full blood work-up to check for other contributing factors?

What can I do to increase my chances of staying pregnant?

Where can I find a pregnancy loss grief counselor?

I have made it a part of my new mission to help others heal, understand and advocate for medical intervention, testing and treatments for women who suffer from miscarriages.

Please reach out to me on Facebook if you ever need someone to support you in your own journey to motHERhood. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pregnancy-loss-miscarriage/symptoms-causes/syc-20354298.

Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/09/01/air-force-authorizes-time-off-pt-more-women-whomiscarry.html?fbclid=IwAR2-GbxWclwHbeUaYD3pL4Txnpkl95YlvNvlD0tTW8HDQ6YOI9SM-wY8HBE

FoundHER

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GC GREEN'S LIZ PEREZ

Elizabeth Perez is the President and Founder of GC Green Incorporated, a green building general contracting and consulting firm. GC Green works to broaden the outreach and impact of the green economy by promoting education, training, apprenticeship, and project placement opportunities in energy efficiency and renewable energy systems for veterans and other displaced workers in California.

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Veterans Build a Better America: Women General Contractors By: Karin Evelyn Veteran-owned businesses have always received attention. However, a subgroup of veteran entrepreneurs must compete with misaligned resources, a side effect of stereotypes in the general community about what it means to be a veteran.

Meet one woman who is breaking through those barriers and how she did it.

FoundHER Elizabeth “Liz” Perez is a proud enrolled tribal citizen of North Fork Rancheria Mono Indians and first-generation Mexican American.

When she left the Navy after eight years of honorable service, she wasn’t sure what the next chapter in her life would bring. She’d always wanted to become an entrepreneur, but it wasn’t until the 2008 recession that she saw an opportunity that others didn’t.

“During my deployments, I saw first-hand our military’s dependency on oil, the energy waste and the need to create jobs in this space,” said Perez. “Creating jobs was especially needed during a time when many people were losing their jobs, their livelihood and their homes.”

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CREDITS MILITARY EXPERIENCES FOR SUCCESS Liz grew up in a military family, which she acknowledges as key to her resilience and success.

“My dad was originally born in Mexico and was brought to the United States when he was only six years old. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Army and remained in the Army until he was medically discharged after serving 17 honorable years,” Perez stated. “Both my mother and father instilled in me that each generation had the responsibility of ensuring that every generation creates a better life for the next generation.”

As most military families could relate, there were high expectations, discipline and no excuse for slacking.

Growing up with what she described as a “drill sergeant” father, he always encouraged them to do their best and never give up.

“I’m not sure how much I appreciated the tight ship my parents ran at home. However as an adult, I am thankful every day,” she said.

That spirited attitude followed Liz throughout her career and beyond. She enlisted in the Navy shortly after high school to follow in the footsteps of her father.

During her eight years on active duty, she did several deployments in support of the 5th and 6th fleets while serving at HC-4 in Sigonella, Sicily.

“I grew up overnight,” she said. “I enlisted during peacetime and then found myself serving in the middle of a war. I was sleepdeprived, served in extreme weather conditions, sent on assignments with limited resources, and in hostile regions.”

When things got challenging, she channeled the energy and encouragement that was implanted from her parents.

Realizing there was no room for excuses, Liz did what any of her shipmates would, figured it out and made it happen.

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She knew from then on, if she could get through that—she could get through anything.

“There are no bad days, she said. “I know what the other side looks like and I’m thankful every day to be here."

"Serving in the military was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Yet, it was one of the most impressionable experiences of my life,” said Perez. “I attribute my success in life to my parents and my experience while serving in the Navy.”

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT Liz always knew she could do things differently. Transitioning into the civilian world as a veteran, she wanted to leverage her military story and put her power towards good.

Additionally, she recognized she wanted to contribute to something that could also address climate change and take care of our planet, which is important to her Native American traditions.

Since departing active duty, she has been on a quest to find solutions for a safer, cleaner, stronger country. This journey ultimately led her to start the renewable energy firm, CG Green, which works to broaden the outreach and impact of the green economy.

“The challenge was creating something that didn’t exist at the time and that was a clean energy general contracting firm that was committed to making a positive social impact,” Perez stated.

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“That is the beauty of telling your story as a business owner. When you are truly passionate about something, you believe in what you do and people see that you are making a difference… people see that and want to be a part of it.”

WORDS OF WISDOM Success does not come without sacrifice. But Liz reminds us that with strong support and resilience, we can still achieve our goals.

“As a single mother of a 19 and 12-year old, my biggest sacrifice was time away from my children,” she explained. “However, my family is extremely supportive of my career goals, they believe in my mission to create a better place for future generations and the positive impact that I make as an advocate addressing women, veterans, underserved populations, environmental, economic and social justice issues.”

Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, Liz considered herself a “tomboy.”

She didn’t care for dolls, she was the only girl in the neighborhood who played sports, rode a skateboard and she refused to wear dresses.

Liz was used to being around the “boys,” and enjoyed being rough and tough.

She wasn’t swayed by social norms or peer pressure, she was simply being herself.

We can all learn from Liz’s experiences that if you do your best and be yourself, you will be more focused on achievements than setbacks.

Recognizing it was not always the case, Liz was thankful for the warm welcome she received in her military service as a female.

The real challenge was when she left.

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“It was challenging for me when I exited the military to find my space and feel welcomed in the construction world and clean energy industry,” Perez said. “It was important to ensure that I was at the decision table and to let people know that I was at the table once there.”

THE FUTURE Having served with pride, veterans are natural entrepreneurs, eager to harness their energy and leadership into the workforce when they return home. But returning to corporate life can be a struggle, which is why many look towards starting their own business.

There are several organizations with a special focus on funding for veteran women, you just have to look for the opportunities.

According to the 2015 Census Bureau statistics, there were 2.52 million businesses in the U.S that are majority-owned by veterans. That is just over 9% of all business. Although, women veteran-owned businesses made up 15.2% of all veteran-owned businesses.

We see room to grow! What are you waiting for?

If we truly want equality for all women, we must ensure that equity is established across the board.

Engaging this group requires the narrative to change. When we say "veteran," we need to immediately visualize men and women who have faithfully served our nation.

If you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but maybe discouraged or don’t know where to begin, what would Liz say?

“Don’t overthink it. If you believe in something, just get out there and do it. There is no time to overthink things right now. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Our country literally needs to build a better America. Who better than to build an America that we dream of than a veteran and better yet... a woman veteran. This the America of 2021, opportunity for everyone.”

LeadHER

THE PO

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-UP PIN

F O T HE R E W

WRITTEN BY: KERRI JETER PHOTO BY: SAMMI HADDLER, GRAPHIC COMPOSTITION BY: KERRI JETER

MODEL: BRITTIANY LENHART

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Courtesy of

Pin-Up for Vets.

In December 1940, Esquire Magazine issued the first Pinup calendar, painted

by Alberto Vargas, in which a girl was represented each month.

It had great commercial success. Vargas girls quickly became synonymous with the feminine sensuality, elegance and beauty of American women.

One year later, the United States entered into World War II and women would occupy a prominent role in society and Vargas paintings would influence new ideals for women, not only as an icon for beauty but also for patriotism.

During the war, Vargas’ work grew in popularity among the fighting men overseas—the men gravitated to the ideal that the paintings represented.

It was motivation to return home, a promise of a woman he would find when he returned from combat, and a welcomed distraction from the hard realities of war.

These girls became such an influence to the fighting men, they began to incorporate similar illustrations on the fuselage of their planes, which is now known as nose art.

True nose art appeared during WWII, with both Axis and Allied aircraft depicting a woman as a good luck charm, a goddess of war or even sometimes as a distraction for the enemy.

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At the height of the war, nose artists were in very high demand in the Army Air Force, although against regulations, many commandes allowed nose art in efforts to boost morale.

When the men returned home and women returned to traditional roles, many of the sexual liberations gained by women during this time were repressed.

The idea of motherhood and marriage, although not bad ideals, certainly became the more conservative path for women to find fulfillment—leaving behind these paintings as the long-lost goddesses of war.

But over the years, the pinup girls would emerge again to boost morale for military members and leave a positive impact in the Veteran and Military community! today.”

Pin-up for Vets Leader, Gina Elise is a granddaughter of a WWII veteran and in 2006, after seeing so many stories about US troops coming back from Iraq who were needing medical care for traumatic brain injuries, severe burns, and amputations, she knew she needed to do something.

“I felt like I wanted to do something to help, but I didn’t know how. I couldn’t just sit back when I felt like something could be done to improve this situation, “ recalls Gina. “I had been a fan of WWII pin-up nose art that was used to boost morale for the troops during WWII. I thought that I could use the concept of the WWII era pin-up to raise money for our troops and Veterans

Photosby Sammi Haddler

In 2006, Pin-Ups For Vets was born and their first iconic 1940’s style pin-up calendar released as a fundraiser with the goal of raising money that could be donated to a local Veterans hospital to support the influx of injured Veterans entering the hospital from the Iraq War.

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Pin-Ups For Vets has a very clear mission to raise funds to improve Veterans' healthcare, donate funds to VA hospitals for medical equipment and program expansion, improve quality of life for ill Veterans across the United States through personal bedside visits to deliver gifts, promote volunteerism at Veterans Hospitals, boost morale for military wives and female Veterans with makeovers and clothing, and boost morale for deployed troops through the delivery of care packages.

Pin-Ups For Vets is an award-winning nonprofit organization that produces WWII-style fundraiser calendars that support the nonprofit's Veteran and Troop initiatives.

The calendars are unique because they feature today’s female Veterans as the 1940’s-style models on each of the calendar pages.

Pin-Ups For Vets does everything from donating rehabilitation equipment to Veterans Hospitals across the country to shipping morale-boosting care packages to deployed troops across the world to a 50-state VA Hospital tour where our Pin-Ups For Vets volunteer Ambassadors.

Many of the volunteers are female veterans who personally deliver the calendars as gifts of appreciation to the ill or injured Veteran patients—and they do this while dressed as 1940s pin-ups!

Courtesy of Pin-Up for Vets.

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All photos this page courtesy of Pin-Up for Vets.

“To date, we have visited over 15,000 Veterans at VA Hospitals, Military Hospitals, and State Veterans Homes across the U.S. It is always quite a surprise for the patients to find out that many of the visiting ladies, who enter the hospital rooms all dolled up as a blast from the past, are also Veterans of the Armed Forces,” said Gina. “Many of our own PinUps For Vets Ambassadors, who are female Veterans, say that utilizing the aesthetic of the WWII pin-up has helped them to reclaim their femininity postservice. They have also mentioned that continuing to support and give back to their brothers and sisters in arms, after separating from military service, has given them a renewed sense of purpose.”

One of their Ambassadors, Marine Corps Veteran Jovane Marie, expressed her feelings about volunteering with Pin-up for Vets organization. She said, “I came for the service. I stayed for the sisterhood.”

These ladies have come together for a shared cause—to give back to their fellow Veterans—and this shared purpose has created a sisterhood of support that is valuable and empowering for all.

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The calendar images are starting a conversation about women in the military.

People see the images and they want to know the stories behind the ladies.

“Who is she?”

“Where did she serve?”

“What did she do in the military?”

The stories of our lady Veterans need to be told. The ladies of this organization often share that people assume they are not military Veterans because of their gender.

One of the Ambassadors who is a Marine says, “There is nothing that says I can’t be a hard-charging a Marine, and a lipstick-wearing pin-up, so I choose to be both.”

These ladies are changing the narrative of what it means to be a Veteran. They are breaking the stereotype! Covid has affected everything in the world, including some of Pin-up for Vets initiatives, in years past the ladies would be in the middle of a 50-state VA Hospital tour.

But sadly, many hospitals are limiting visitors, so they had to pause our hospital visits.

They are still shipping care packages to deployed troops overseas, but now also ship care packages to Veterans Hospitals now too.

Courtesy of Pin-Up for Vets.

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Courtesy of Pin-Up for Vets.

We have been shipping morale-boosting care packages with our calendars as gifts for the hospital staff to deliver on our behalf!

It has been working well, and the hospitals have been so thankful for these gifts to hand out,” said Gina. “Now more than ever, especially without any visitors, it is important to let our Veterans know that we have not forgotten them. These last number of months have been isolating for us all, but imagine being in a hospital where you are not able to have visitors. It can get lonely. One of our gifts might be a bright spot in the day for a Veteran and bring some joy. That’s what we are about—bringing happiness and appreciation to our Nation’s Heroes!”

Pin-Ups For Vets Ambassadors are all women veterans, each having a chance to grace the annual calendar through a casting notice Pin-up for Vets post every spring on their social media accounts.

In our photoshoot, with Elinor Otto, two local Vegas ambassadors joined in on the fun to help create the images you see in this issue of the magazine. It was an incredible day to be in the room with the vibrant, Elinor Otto, as well as the gorgeous Claudia and Brittiany Lenhart—both in the 2021 calendar.

“I love it because Gina uses female veterans for the calendar. It gives it a whole different complexity in a good way because having female veterans as pin-ups just amplifies the vibe,” said Brittiany. “I feel like the veteran community is so small but us females are that much more small. So it gives us as female veterans more exposure and that's just kind of nice.”

Brittiany has a special fondness for the connection to pin-ups and her own time in service as an Air Force veteran. As a jet engine mechanic on fighters, she has a deep passion for aviation history. The synchronicities of aviation and the connection of the pinup nose art for jets evokes the gravitational pull towards this cause even more, but the community and the impact is really the icing on the cake.

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“The movement is important to the veteran community. It hits me in the feels. This mission is bigger than just a calendar,” said Brittiany. “It is so fun to see others excited and encouraged, but when someone reaches out who I served with, it reminds me that I have made an impact in their lives and it just gets me in the feels. This is a powerful thing women come together and stand in support of one another. It's a true combination of femininity—both brave and beautiful.”

Women are challenging the status quo, breaking glass ceilings and still maintaining traditional roles at home.

On the spectrum of feminism, this combination of seeing military women step into their fullness is truly a beautiful thing.

Femininity is a sacrifice many women are willing to make to serve this country, but at one point in history, our femininity was the heroine of the great war.

Pin-up for Vets appreciates America’s armed forces service members and the sacrifices they have made for our Country. As an organization, Gina purposefully reaches out to women veterans to boost morale and do makeovers for these brave women.

It is a unique element that sets this organization apart. Women are SHEroes in and out of the uniform. There is a special bond between brothers and sisters-in-arms, so when patients at the VA hospitals get to spend time with the pin-up, it is truly a healing moment shared between comrades.

“A lot of the patients we visit start to cry because they are so moved that people are thinking of them. Many of the Veterans, especially the Vietnam-era Vets, did not get a warm welcome upon their return home. It means so much to our Vets to know that we appreciate them and get to connect with other veterans and supporters. To see them so moved by the small gesture of a visit and the delivery of a calendar gift, lets me know that we are doing the right thing,” said Gina. “Sometimes, the smallest things can make the biggest difference. We can all learn from their resilience. “

Courtesy of Pin-Up for Vets.

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The last 15 years have brought many memories and a lot of good back into the Veteran community.

Pin-up for Vets has all the elements to continue to make an impact for years to come.

Looking back over the past 15-years, we asked Gina to share her fondest memory.

“I have such incredible memories from the past 15 years! When we visit with the Veterans to deliver our calendars as gifts of appreciation, we spent time in their room chatting. Many Veterans don’t have family nearby, so we like to give them our time.

They often talk to us about their service, what they did in the military, good memories from when they were in, etc,” recounts Gina.

“One Veteran was speaking to me, very quietly, but answering my questions. We were having a great conversation. When I left the room, one of the nurses came up to me to tell me that this was the first time this Veteran spoke in a month! That warmed my heart! Do not underestimate the Power of the Pin-Up!” Not only are the personal impacts evident but the Pin-up for Vets calendar makes a huge financial impact as well as a proven fundraiser.

Their organization has donated over $80,000 to help purchase brand-new therapy equipment and to help expand rehabilitation programs at Military and VA Hospitals nationwide!

Help continue the impact by visiting www.pinupsforvets.com where you can buy a variety of memorabilia, including jewelry, patches, challenge coins, lapel pins, stickers and most importantly calendars.

Photos by Sammi Haddler

HER NEXT

Mission

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Leadership Development for Professionals There was a time when we were called to a greater purpose than ourselves and we volunteered to fulfill our nation’s call by serving in the Armed Forces. There are also times when we must take a new route, walk on a different path of service, and empower individuals to build cohesive teams that allow them to operate in excellence.

Innovative Directions Investment Group (IDIG), LLC understands that path and recognizes that organizations desire great productivity from their staff and that is where IDIG extends their table; giving others the ingredients to have an entire pie instead of a piece.

With IDIG’s guidance, they assist businesses to posture for enhanced employee and managerial growth and help others invest in the Human Capital stock market—the employees.

In 2017, IDIG established in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, as a certified service-disabled, veteran, woman-owned small business, accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating.

They are a multi-functional organization with 173 years of combined experience in leadership, problem-solving, training, coaching, and mentoring individuals from the initial entry stage to executive levels of operation.

As veterans, the military taught the IDIG team how to transition from being lead to being the leader—a void they recognized as missing in certain employment institutions.

As a company, IDIG tailors leadership development programs and provides curricula such as effective communication, counseling, and team building. At IDIG, they also offer individual, group, and executive coaching, in addition to specializing in organizational leadership.

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In short, they are experienced leaders who understand the importance of management, conflict resolution, and achieving goals and objectives, IDIG will help you build your A-Team.

The philosophy at IDIG, is similar to Sir Richard Branson’s quote, train people well enough so they can leave; treat them well enough so they don’t want to. A belief that when companies invest in their employees and treat them as part of the team, they will take care of the bottom-line—the clients and that’s where companies see the return of investment.

Get in touch with IDIG today!

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Women Vetreprenuears—Leap Without Regrets By: Elis Salamone Seventy-five percent of Americans have a strong desire to become business owners but are terrified of taking the leap. The interesting thing is that Veterans are uniquely equipped to become entrepreneurs.

Here are a few reasons why: You have high work ethics and high moral values; You have developed unique leadership, management, teamwork, and critical thinking skills; You have discipline and are mission-focused; You are self-motivated and resilient; You are self-confident, service-oriented.

Kristin Miller, Air Force Veteran and military spouse was given an opportunity in October 2019 to buy the subscription base company called MilSO Box. MilSO Box is a unique gift box company specifically proposed for those who have answered the call as a Military Spouse or First Responder Significant Other.

The company only utilizes Veteran, Military Spouses and American-made vendors when curating the unique boxes that customers can order or get monthly.

Kristin quickly learned that her personal and creative touches to the gift boxes like handwritten notes really resonated with her customers and it added that special touch that made the gift boxes even more special.

The other aspect of the company that Kristin loves is that she can be as creative as she wants, to the point that when she cannot find just the right thing for her theme box, she will create the item herself!

Within a year of doing business, Kristen expanded into a retail warehouse and has added another gift box line to her company called Batten & Bale, a luxury gift collection line.

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Kristen said that although the business had a growing customer base when she took over, she had to gain the customers’ trust, and when her subscription levels dropped off creating a period of uncertainty.

During those times, her active-duty spouse was her biggest cheerleader and support. The greatest lesson on this journey for Kristin has been to “allow room for grace” and think of challenges as lessons.

Keeping a good sense of humor also became an important part of her workday. When asked if she would do it all over again, she enthusiastically said “yes!'' She has zero regrets. Although she admits there is about 30% of business tasks, she doesn’t necessarily find fun, she knows it has to get done and it's all working towards her dreams and HER business.

But when it is time for the fun part’, she plays some 90’s hip hop music, grabs a beverage and starts packing or creating. One of her favorite parts of creating is coming up with fun themes for the boxes like, for example, in April the theme is “Like A Boss,” which then she will source items that help with organizing.

Kristin encourages any women veteran to take a chance on themselves when they are considering starting a business. While challenging, there are more moments of joy as she grows her business and sees the return on investment of all her hard work.

If you want to support MilSO Box, check out the links below : https://www.milsobox.com/ https://www.instagram.com/milsobox/

Kristin signing her personalized notes for her monthly boxes and all smiles in her new expanded office.

Courtesy of Kristin

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The Air Force was switching uniforms once again from ABU to ODU, over 35,000 old uniforms were soon going to be phased out. When trying to think about what to do with those old uniforms Nicole, an active duty Airmen, thought of making a wreath.

While home on leave in New Jersey, Nicole and her mother worked together to find a pattern they both liked and made the wreath with her old uniforms.

What happened next is what the American dream is all about. Nicole posted a picture of the wreath on a FaceBook page she belongs to, almost immediately everyone wanted one.

Then someone with a 1946 Army-issued uniform asked her to turn it into a wreath, which led to a local news story and the rest as they say is HERstory—Wreaths By Nicole has now been featured all over the media in print and news stories.

While in college a professor mentioned enlisting in the military as a good option in a tough job economy. She contacted all the branches to get information, the Marine Corps were the first to call back.

So after her college graduation, Nicole enlisted in the Marines for four years of active duty, met her husband and got out. After a couple of years in the civilian sector, she missed the military and enlisted in the Air Force, which she plans to remain until eligible for retirement.

But now unintentionally her business has taken off and she has literally become an overnight news sensation. Admittedly, all the attention and wreath orders have been a bit overwhelming for Nicole—in a good way.

Her wreaths are creating a sustainable way to reuse old uniforms and a unique memento of someone’s service.

Nicole’s website has exploded, causing her to hire friends to help with time-consuming aspects of creating the wreaths like cutting the uniforms, pinning and organizing materials each wreath is created by hand. Interestingly enough the wreaths require zero sewing.

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Right now Nicole has about a year's worth of orders, each wreath taking approximately four hours to create once the material has been cut, all while still doing her Air Force day job, so customers will have to be patient as every wreath is unique and special.

Her dream for her business is to have steady orders and for the military communities to think of her wreaths as another special gift for promotions, retirements, etc. She wants her wreaths to become a commonplace part of military gifts like the traditional shadow boxes.

Nicole states the greatest lessons so far have been the importance of time management, purchasing, logistics while being creative.

The best part of it all for Nicole is hearing the stories behind the uniforms entrusted to her, the feedback is phenomenal. Nicole states that “Helping the community honor people’s service has brought me great fulfillment and motivation to get as many wreaths done as quickly as possible while maintaining quality control.”

Although there’s a first come first serve methodology to the orders, Gold Star family members get priority. That people are entrusting her with an important part of a loved one’s legacy is an honor.

In the spirit of entrepreneurship, Nicole is strategizing on how to expand her business and creating a solid business plan after she realized she may need to raise the prices to offset costs related to shipping, assembly and materials.

Nicole’s advice for others that are considering business ownership is to put yourself out there and think outside the box but mostly to take that leap of faith because you have no idea where you can end up.

As an enlisted Airmen, Nicole admits that the extra money has been nice however the trade-off is she is almost always working. Right now though Nicole says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Left: Nicole while serving in the USMC. Middle: Nicole and her mom making wreaths. Right: Nicole with a few of her completered wreaths. Courtesy of Nicole

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HEROIC WOMEN WHO TURN THE PATRIARCHAL CASTE SYSTEM UPSIDE DOWN By:

Joanna

Sweatt

Biblical verses are some of the most referenced text we use as a society to argue our impassioned points.

Whether we are “religious” in practice or whether we articulate religion philosophically, biblical ideology is entrenched in our daily lives.

I can recall as a child, initially, fearing the words in the bible, based on the tone of the words that fell from the lips of our church’s animated preacher.

Over time, my logic caught up to me and I learned to read the bible differently, looking for relevancies of my own life in the testimonies and applying critical thinking to understand the lessons I was learning.

Knowing that the bible was not in fact, handwritten by God assured me it could be imperfect; however, for me, it remained steadfast providing me insight through the amazing stories told by those from the yesteryears.

I often made notice of the women in the bible and as a child, I remembered it seemed very few and far in between that I actually heard about them in Sunday’s sermons acknowledging them as the SHEroes that I imagined they were.

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There are several examples of SHEroes that can be found in all of our varied religious narratives—that I often wonder, how in the present day that women are still fighting for equality.

Even sadder to me, are the women that I meet that are still conditioned to take second billing to a man, all because of the male-dominated leader rhetoric we’ve grown accustomed to accepting.

True, the storytellers of historical content have predominantly been made by men; therefore, what we read and learn now is richly filled by their testimonies.

We end up hearing grossly exaggerated stories of men and their allegiances to the victorious and conquering armies they supported. They are deemed warriors!

Women, on the historical flip side, are either sanctified or ostracized by those patriarchal caste systems that have led to many of our present day-folklore ideas of HERoism.

Since the beginning of humanity, war has been the backdrop. And since those early beginnings, women were, leaders and prophets—led by God to serve in HERoic ways: Deborah, from the Old Testament, inspired the Israelites to a mighty victory over their Canaanite oppressors (the people who lived in the Promised Land, later Palestine, that Moses spoke of before its conquest by the Israelites).

Not only a warrior, but she was also an appointed judge and artist that brought 40years of peace to the lands, post-battle. Her grace under fire was unmatched.

The ego-less Huldah, whom God named the “prophetess” and although there were other faithful, more established male prophets God could have spoken through at this point, yet God chose to use a simple, otherwise unknown woman, who was filled with His Holy Spirit.

She was familiar with all the words of the book. If you want to be God’s messenger, the first thing to do is to put your focus on all the words of the book.

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Her vast knowledge was her power. Noadiah, she spoke up and out. She was opposed to [ruler] Nehemiah’s policies, which included breaking apart families and leaving women and their children as persons without status or identity, with neither shelter or sustenance. Her community’s representation mattered.

These women were true trailblazers in their times, backed only by what they believed was the word of God and politically organizing or asking questions in a time where their risks were immediate death.

The wins these women ultimately secured were always in the spirit of harmony for all and against dangerous egotistical power. Knowing these women’s stories demonstrates just how the biblical roles of man and woman cannot be defined as neatly as we attempt to as a society and that women can, in fact, answer a call to God just as devotedly as a man can.

Conditioned for years, I let my identity as a woman veteran end with that simple designation. It was my extra check in the box but it wasn’t something that I thought was worthy of celebration because my service didn’t seem exceptional.

As a literary enthusiast, it was natural for me to blossom into a storyteller while working through trauma healing programs.

As I became more self-aware, I recognized just how much my military experience shaped my life and I came to realize how my experiences also impact the lives of other women I may have served with and those that would come after me.

Each time I told my story, I would meet someone who needed to hear it to help them move forward.

This is when everything in my life started to become full circle.

I witnessed that testimony helps us better understand that we are not alone in our survival and how we can better appreciate who we are, how far we have come and how much more we can still contribute.

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Equality also doesn’t mean that we are all the same or that we must all contribute the exact same way in life.

However, what we all should expect are the same equal opportunities to serve in the ways that we are destined to serve.

Without diverse examples, it’s harder for each of us to start our contribution blueprint. We need more equalization of narratives that are represented by all the contributors to our past, present and future sustainment.

Articulating more stories of women as leaders and knowing their rites of passage is critical for our future and our incorporation as known and respected warriors.

Perhaps if Americans knew more of these testimonies, society would better appreciate warrior ethos in women and halt the ideas that only certain women get to be exceptional and we would not have had to wait until 2021 to have our first woman Vice-President.

There are a lot of errors in how we have represented history in this country however, edits for inclusion doesn’t change the story--it only paints a richer picture where everyone is empowHERed to serve.

The Library of Congress curates all stories of every former service member that is willing to share their military experience via the Veterans History Project.

As women who have served, I encourage you to participate in this experience to improve the broad stroke narratives about women and military service. The more we share, the more our daughters will dare! www.loc.gov Check out The Veterans Heritage Project Here.

Tune in each week for new stories on our podcast!

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BroJaq: Inside the influencHER hustle

By: Kerri Jeter

Growing a community on social media, is creating a channel where influencers are a micro-CEO of their own media empires.

One woman veteran badass, has certainly figured out the never-ending effort of producing amazing content and staying true to herself.

We sat down with Jacqueline Carrizosa, more commonly known as BroJaq on her social media platforms, to explain how she found her voice as an influencer.

In case you haven’t seen this bold brave beauty, here is a snapshot of who she is before we begin the interview—professional motocross athlete, champion and former US Navy Rescue Swimmer.

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FS: How did you get the nickname Brojaq?

BroJaq: My high school friend who served in the Navy as well gave me the nickname after one of the trucks I built at a bar in San Diego. I’m a kid who grew up, broke playing in the dirt behind the city boys and girls club in East LA, catching tadpoles. I currently work with a lot of things that go “boom” and “pew” while racing professionally, modeling, executive protection, marketing, and other oddities to pay the bills and future goals.

I am currently in school as well pursuing a medical degree.

FS: How did you find your voice as an influencer?

BroJaq: I honestly thought social media was dumb and lost two contract jobs during a convention because I didn’t have one. So that made me start one. I used it mostly for instruction of shooting, machine gun builds, writing, my athletic endeavors, racing, business and small adventures and it went from there.

FS: You have teamed up with brands like Black Rifle Coffee and KillCliff and 1st Phorm. How do you decide which brands to approach or partner with?

BroJaq: Genuine interactions, loyalty, and good people in the brands. I’m also pro staff with Eberlestock, JP rifles, Tier 1 Kinetics, Battlefield Vegas, and Premier Body Armor. I like to work with people for a long time and build empires and families. Success is the goal and getting everyone’s families fed and the ability to do what they need to blossom.

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Freedom Sisters Media has partnered with Combat Boxes.

The Female Heroes Box is full of products from Women-Veteran Owned business, like Soldier Girl Coffee, Mutt's Sauce, Combat Boots Jewelry, A Wild Ride Called Life and more!

A percentage of every box purchased will go to Freedom Sisters to support their mission.

FS: What I love about women veterans is the fact there are endless possibilities in what a woman veteran looks like or acts like. You are into guns, moto and fitness.

Why are you so passionate about these areas?

BroJaq: I love to go very fast and shoot. Fitness is a mental health addiction for me, it helps me decompress from the day or night and helps me look better while becoming more functional and versatile. Fitness also helps keep you healthy and capable to pursue whatever you want. It gives you an outstanding baseline of confidence in mental and physical challenges.

FS: What advice would you give to others trying to gain a following on social media?

BroJaq: Be happy. Be funny. Be weird. Don’t follow the crowd, and take great shots. (Pun intended).

Tits or not, if the page is interesting people will follow it.

FS: What has been the biggest opportunity for you as an influencer?

BroJaq: Meeting people with great souls and networking with individuals I would have never got the opportunity to meet before.

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FS: What areas are you passionate about for the veteran space?

BroJaq: I’ve spoken at Georgia State University for a women’s veterans event. I love having veterans know they can become something else other than their previous MOS. I am passionate about suicide prevention and getting veterans engaged in outdoor activities.

FS: What’s your biggest challenge as an influencer?

BroJaq: Grabbing content, because I like to live in the moment. Also navigating through fake people to get to the awesome ones.

FS: When you’re not blowing sh*t up, breaking bones or pumping iron, what are you doing with your time?

BroJaq: Studying for exams, drawing or painting, playing with my dogs, or doing new things like learning how to make a knife or hammer. I also refurnish most of my furniture and sew.

FS: Do you ever get any “haters” and if so how do you handle it?

BroJaq: I’m a nice person and I know who I am. I used to take it personally a little and it would weigh on me while I internally reflected if I caused something to happen. I wouldn’t know certain people at all and I would try to understand why they are being negative. Then I came to a realization that you can not do anything to help those people, they have to escape their own negativity.

It’s a projection of insecurity, lack of worldly experience, and/ or a need for attention. So mostly, I just laugh now or say something if it’s an easy misunderstanding. If it’s creepy or sexually harassing you can just block them.

Follow Jacqueline's adventures on Instagram, her handle?

Yup, you guessed it....@BROJAQ!

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Preparing Financially for Post-Service Adventures By: Laura Jones

Navigating the post-service world is overwhelming in itself and there is tremendous pressure to be financially prepared during and after our transition from military service.

If we’ve never worried about our finances before, it can quickly become front and center when we are facing that exit door.

As with any mission we’ve accomplished in service, planning is essential to success, and we know this applies to our personal lives as well.

To overcome some of the daunting processes of exiting the military, we must embrace the power of preparation, whether its a two-week process or a year-long ordeal, readiness is the best indicator of success.

Prioritize financial planning for stability as soon as you know an approximate discharge date or as far in advance as practical. Working with a personal financial advisor can help maintain perspective with transitional goals to succeed after service.

I found this especially beneficial because the emotional rollercoaster of transitioning from the service was stressful enough and worrying about finances put me into a panic!

He helped me transfer my Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) into an awesome investment portfolio that aligns with my values in socially responsible investing.

Roy also helped me set up life insurance, which is another thing to think about because the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance (SGLI) expires 90 days after your leave military service, which comes quickly!

My financial advisor has become a trusted family friend, and I have maintained a financial peace-of-mind through the transition process and beyond.

If your personal finances are in order, and you are pursuing an entrepreneurial route post-service, consider connecting with a financial strategist.

Our sister veteran Audrey Godwin, founder and CEO of The Audrey Company, empowers women to write business financial plans and strategies for optimal profitability.

Audrey is a champion for women's economic development and passionate about getting business finances on track, so get on track so the owner can focus on delivering their entrepreneurial expertise.

Audrey can help sharpen business ideas, define goals, and develop a strategy to be successful in reaching lucrative milestones along the way.

“Money is a tool, managing it is a skill, and you are in charge. Financial mastery is a series of clear decisions, strategically executed for a desired outcome,” she explains. “Consistent cash flow and profitability are a result of conscious choices and deliberate actions.”

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I greatly appreciated the support of my financial advisor Roy Hsu from Edward Jones, who took the time to listen to my goals and explained the projections from my starting point to future checkpoints—to the ultimate retirement finish line.

Setting yourself up for success begins by investing in yourself first, but it is equally important to support our sisters in business as well.

As more women exit military service there is a continuous increase in women veterans owning small businesses, we must help each other succeed by spreading the word and sharing the love with our fellow sister veterans.

Prioritizing finances is the first step to ensure we are setting ourselves up for success in our next adventures.

As soon as practical, get in touch with a financial advisor or strategist for help with creating a plan for post-service money management.

When you are ready to focus on your “next adventure” it’s a good idea to hold an operations planning meeting with yourself and/or your family to ensure everyone is on board and understands what to expect during your transitioning journey.

Keeping our family and/or domestic partners involved in the planning is equally important for managing household finances because transitioning from the military lifestyle is a new adventure for everyone.

Planning is key to readiness, and readiness is key to becoming financially savvy and secure.

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Schedule a free one-hour Strategy Session with Audrey to begin the financial clarity journey.

Woman

Warrior

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You are good enough to pursue your passions BY: ANA VALENCIA Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid to try. -Pravine Hurbungs For as long as I can remember, I have always felt a huge need to belong. I was a very quiet and awkward kid, with a brilliant imagination and passion for writing stories.

As years went by, I became less and less interested in writing. Writing is intimate, something I was afraid to share with others in fear of judgment.

You’re just not good enough.

I felt disconnected from my life. I had spent most of it cruising along, running from my past and dreaming that my life would get better.

I didn’t know where to begin the healing process. I thought a lot about writing without actually picking up a pen and paper.

You’re just not good enough.

I imagined my life, where I am at peace. I imagined myself happy and surrounded by so many people that loved me. The words I keep inside, flowing out of me onto pieces of paper. Words I know can heal me and heal others. I shared my most intimate thoughts with someone I thought I could trust, and experienced rejection and judgment.

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"Do not write about these things, do you really want other people to know this about you?”

I felt immediate shame.

You are not good. You are not good enough.

Pay attention to the triggers in your life. Who told you no? Who said it can’t be done?

For me, that person was my mother.

Once I identified the source of my wound, I started becoming more self-aware and began writing more words to help me discover the woman I wanted to be, and who I wanted in my influence circle.

There is magic in recreating yourself and the thoughts you tell yourself. It amazes me how the things in our childhood can greatly impact our adult lives.

I know most of us live with a deep wound in our hearts that we are still trying to heal.

My mother was a very strict woman with no time on her hands. She made me feel like all of my efforts were not enough.

I was constantly competing for her attention and her words always stuck with me: “You will never amount to anything, I don't even know why you try...you are just going to end up with a bunch of kids like me.”

I lived with this question most of my life- Will I ever be good enough?

I was a little girl wanting to be loved, not knowing that the source of love has always been within me. When you are a child, you don't truly understand this concept, but now as an adult, it is our duty to heal from what has been done to us.

The only approval you will ever need is your own! Love yourself, regardless of accomplishments.

As I have healed, I have changed the meaning behind the story I tell myself about my mother.

You can't change the facts from your past, but you can change how you can interpret them.

Will I be a victim or a victor?

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The path you take is yours and yours alone. We may have an idea of what our purpose is, but it isn’t until we fully know and accept ourselves that we can truly take this journey.

Writing was a part of my journey, it is important for me to share the words in my head and heart with the world—yes, I really want people to know these things about me.

You start to believe you’re good enough.

My only regret in life was not believing I was worthy enough to heal sooner. For years I believed I couldn’t be taken seriously as a writer because I felt I wasn’t smart enough or wellread enough, always not enough.

Self-doubt and resistance were my enemies all these years. What would my life be like, if I actually just tried?

You are good enough.

Deep down you know what your life could be like. You just need to believe in your potential.

Potential is not about the here and now—it’s about the development of who you can be in the future.

You need to fight for the woman you’re becoming and not allow yourself to remain hidden.

Finding your purpose and living out your passion is messy, it is full of no’s, fail-ups, and lessons —yet you are still enough to pursue who you want to be.

Although you cannot get back lost time, you can reflect on the difficult process it has taken to become the woman you are today. Use that as fuel to not back down.

Your passion may not be finding your writing voice, but there is something in you that is beautiful, bold and brave—the world needs you to walk in your purpose, there is after all only one you.

So, that old lie—You are not good enough, is now silenced.

Your passion is waiting for you.

Are you ready to find it?

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

INJUSTICE FATIGUE: HOW GOD’S CHARACTER HELPS US PERSEVERE THROUGH AN UNJUST WORLD

BY: BRITTANY LARA

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

T

rying to implement change and fight injustice may be tiring and overwhelming, almost like drowning under the floods of unjustness.

Jerusalem was under the oppression of Rome, with corrupt leaders and religious hierarchy who were not taking care of the needs of its people.

Circumstances like Cpl. Thae Ohu, religious persecution, human rights violations, sex trafficking, etc., can cause burnout when it all feels so burdensome.

Yet the King of Glory came down amid that turmoil and persecution. Jesus' countercultural nature stood out.

It is not that you don’t care, but the battle can seem impossible, therefore many don’t know how to pursue justice.

Many freedom fighters have encountered the same thoughts: if we can’t change anything, why do we wear ourselves out trying?

What is Justice?

We were made in God's image and were all created equal before God. Righteousness in Hebrew means having a right relationship between other people, treating others as valuable because they bear the image of God with the God-given dignity they deserve.

Justice can begin within us, by treating others as Image-bearers of God. In Matthew 5:14, God calls us to become beacons of justice and righteousness, shining like a city on a hill, a light that cannot be hidden or extinguished.

Just look at the situation that God sent Jesus into; He placed the King of Justice into an incredibly unjust landscape.

That wasn’t an accident— it was the timing God had planned.

So, if God put His Son into that situation on purpose, we shouldn’t be surprised when we find ourselves in tumultuous situations rife with injustice.

As military women, we signed up to fight injustice and tyranny, to protect the weak and abused.

We are in positions that will certainly face this challenge head-on, we are women who will stand out… and hopefully stand up for the oppressed.

God’s character is righteous, so we who seek to rectify and recognize the victimized must reflect his character in that we ourselves are just people.

The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, etc., are often quoted as examples of the corruption of religion; but why do people view them as unjust acts?

Because the injustice perpetrated was so in opposition to the true character of God they used His name to act against His nature.

We must not be guilty of the same mistake.

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

Let our own actions be in line with His nature, and let us invite His nature and spirit to transform us more each day to be that reflection of His light.

When we come into a right relationship with God through Jesus, He imbues us with His spirit. Each day we submit to God and seek Him; He transforms our hearts to be more and more in alignment with His will.

We May Get Tired, but God Will End Injustice.

Is there any hope that justice will win? “I, Jehovah, love justice; I hate robbery and unrighteousness.”—Isaiah 61:8.

God tells us how He will make the world new, ending all injustice and brokenness; lifting up the downtrodden to places of honor in the upside-down order of a renewed world.

In Revelation 21:4 (AMP), “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”

Human beings may inflict injustices on their fellow man now, but God will make the world right someday; so even if we tire and feel defeated, just remember that God will have the final say, and that injustice is already convicted as guilty, it’s sentence will be death - we merely wait for the day God pounds the gavel on injustice- a penalty that is guaranteed to bring it to an end.

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

INSPIRED

AFFIRMATIONS

FROM WOMEN HEROES.

In honor of Women's HERstory, we are sharing with you, five motivational affirmations, so you can achieve greatness in your own story. Inspired my Women Warriors of the military.

U.S. Marine Corps Graphic Illustration by Cpl. Sarah Stegall; dvidshub

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

I AM THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB.

Elise S. Ott | US Air Force During

World

War

implementation casualties. being

the

injured

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first

is

Elise

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contributions

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receive

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military Air

ambulance

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FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

I AM PROUD TO BE MYSELF.

Deborah Sampson | Continental Army After

a

life

adventure joined and a

book,

indentured

and

the

lived

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man own

later

and path

wrote

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

NO ONE CAN TAKE MY STRENGTH FROM ME.

Sarah Edmonds | Union Army Sarah

left

path

to

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herself

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between

front

lines.

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

EVERY DAY, I AM CLOSER AND CLOSER TO REACHING NEW HEIGHTS.

Eileen Collins | US Air Force Eileen

was

shuttle

the

commander,

successful aircraft. in

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first-ever

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military hours and

for

stars.

space

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flying

showed moon,

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

I AM INCREDIBLY BRILLIANT.

Grace Murray Hopper | US Navy Before

joining

Yale computers

the

University

in

and

the

wrote

recalled standardize

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military,

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and

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language. in

1986

from

pioneer

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She at

in

was

1967

to

retired age

79.

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

I AM BRAVE.

Linda Bray| US Army Linda officer 1989.

was to

She

hours,

lead led

banned

team into

of

the

women

However,

lasted

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of

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a

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was

on

for

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women's

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

I AM FEARLESS AND COURAGEOUS. Harriet Tubman | Union Army Harriet

partnered

abolitionist

who

Volunteers,

a

couldn’t she

write

were

down

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FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

Float your mind and the rest will follow By: Kerri Jeter

Field Interviews by: Brandi Pett

In nothing, there is freedom.

In nothingness, we continually begin again.

–Stephen Johnson

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

Floatation therapy offers a distinctive break from the routine and chaos of daily life. Many who deal with stress or anxiety can find relief in a float tank, but perhaps no group needs that relief more than veterans.

Flotation Therapy, also known as sensory deprivation therapy, as a complement to traditional methods of treatment such as cognitive and exposure therapy can provide immense relief from symptoms associated with PTSD, depression, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and chronic pain which are increasing at an alarming rate among activeduty servicewomen and men and veterans alike.

Backed by Science Back in 1957, at the Oklahoma City Veterans Association hospital, Dr. Jay Shurley constructed the first Flotation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) tank; this form of therapy minimizes external sensory output to the nervous system.

“The deprivation aspect of the flotation therapy is the most beneficial because the active brain is not used to having all active stimulation removed,” Lynette Murphy D’Arco of the Hope Floats Recovery Center explains.

As noted on floatworks.com, here are some key findings from decades of research surrounding flotation therapy: Improves sleep Reduces anxiety Reduces negative emotions Reduces the perception of pain Reduces confusion, and Reduces the impact of many serious mental health issues.

The number one reported primary benefit is the reduction of stress, especially for PTSD sufferers who experience ongoing anxiety and tenseness.

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

Backed by Congress On October 30, 2020, H.R. 2359 (116th): Whole Veteran Act was enacted. The bill requires the Department of Veteran Affairs to report on the implementation of its whole health approach to health care.

The VA will now be required to examine multiple areas of an individual’s life with a holistic lens to create the best overall health plan, which includes holistic alternatives (massage, chiropractic services, acupuncture, guided imagery, etc.) and any other service the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

Backed by Veterans Many veterans are open to a holistic approach to healing chronic pain and past trauma, especially those who have been dealing with the effects of war for the last two decades.

“My first float I had no idea what to expect, I had never floated in the dark by myself in silence,” said Air Force Veteran and Float Therapy client, Brandi Pett. “After my first float, I realized this therapy had the potential to change my life.”

Navy Veteran Porsche Williams was introduced to REST three years ago, by her brother; she now floats once a month for ongoing treatment.

“The sensory deprivation was very peaceful and aligning. It is definitely helpful for decompression from a stressful job,” said Williams. “The difference is you feel lighter and energized because your body is truly at rest and the sleep you have is some of the best sleep of your life.”

You may feel like nothing else has worked in the past but there may be hope in nothingness after all. Finding that safe space to clean your slate and begin again might just be a float away.

If this therapy seems like the right fit for you, click here to find a float therapy location near you.

GovTrack.us. (2021). H.R. 2359 — 116th Congress: Whole Veteran Act. Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr2359https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSDoverview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp

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t h g i l h g i H

HER

FREEDOMSISTERS MAGAZINE

Highlight Woman Veteran Emerging Businesses you should know about!

Blog Brie Burgett has spent the last decade traveling the globe and trust us, you don't want to miss the adventure! Brie is a self-proclaimed Globe trotter and adventure seeker. SHe encourages us all to never stop exploring. There will never be a perfect opportunity to pursue any dreams.. it takes commitment to that goal or dream and putting yourself outside your comfort zone again and again. So far she has visited: six Continents and 108 Countries. We love her awesome resource, tips and incredible photos. Cathc the travel bug at thebrieadventure.com.

Speak Brittiany Lenhart has the best slogan ever, HR hates me, CEOs love me. She is known as the Culture Consultant for businesses. Her mission is to improve the work culture and Toxic Workplace concern at all levels of a company so that a company can thrive emotionally and thusly, financially.

We encourage businesses to invite her to your Executive off-site gathering, conference, or company to speak to your team about developing and maintaining cohesion within the company as well as understand why work cultures go bad and how to prevent it. workcultureconsultant.com

Read Adriana Rosales is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, John Maxwell certified speaker, HeartMath® Certified and an educator of personal resilience and selfregulation. Plus she is a Veteran making a difference through mentoring and training.

What is the CORPORATE CODE? This code is about revolutionizing the way businesses do business. About redefining what a CORPORATION means and implementing “The CODE” to achieve it.

Bosses have to be true leaders. They have to show workers where the company is headed, why it’s headed there and why they should follow.

Check out Adrian Rosales here and buy her book today!

Shop We have been a fan of Lady Brigade since 2015, long before Nadine Noky, opened the brick-and-mortar boutique in Sarasota, Florida.

Lady Brigade Boutique is the cutest shop with incredible jewelry, gifts, and fashion wears. She has a full line of veteran-friendly duds, that we, women, actually want to wear!

There are so many incredible items on her website and even more in-store!

There are too many items we love to narrow down to one favorite, so here are a few items we love: the Live Free Tank, 50 Cal Bronze Leather Necklace, High Seas Tentacle Ring, and the Night Out Sequined Dress.

Check her out here.

If you are a woman veteran-owned business and want to be featured in our HighlightHER section, email us at info@freedomsisters.com

Podcast The Women of the military podcast, tackles issues that real women face while serving in the military. The highs and the lows.

Podcast Host, Amanda Huffman, seeks to find out why women join military service and what these women do after they take off the boots. If you want to be encouraged and inspired by the stories of these amazing women, check this podcast out today!

If you are a woman who served and want to be on the Women of the military podcast, sign up to be a guest here.

Well, we love this podcast because Amanda's passion for mentorship shines, he drives to share women veteran stories to provide a resource for women who may be considering military service.

Week after week, we get to hear new and exciting stories from sisters who served.

Our founder, Kerri Jeter sat down with Amanda recently, we share that with you here.

Subscribe to the Women of the military podcast on your favorite listening platform!

LISTEN HERE

Click

to

on

hear

the an

selected Amanda

image

episode by

the

herself!

F r e e d o m

S i s t e r s

connection

We invite you to connect and build a community with our incredible EditHER and writeHER team.

We mean it when we say we believe in sisterhood!

We look forward to connecting on Instagram!

K ER RI J E T E R , E D I T H E R - I N -CHEIF

@FREEDOMSISTERSMEDIA

A MBER M A R K L A N D , S E R V E HER

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@EMPASSIONEDLIFE

A A L IYA H A L - M A D H I , T R A VELHER

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A MY FOR S Y TH E , E Q U I P H E R

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N A V IER E W A L K E W I C Z , M O TIVATEHER

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B R I E B U R G E T T , A D E N T U R EHER

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C Y N THI A C L I N E , E D U C A T EHER

@CYNTHIA__CLINE

F r e e d o m

S i s t e r s

connection

We invite you to connect and build a community with our incredible EditHER and writeHER team.

We mean it when we say we believe in sisterhood!

We look forward to meeting you!

JACQ U E L INE ZAPPE Y, MILITARY MOTHE R H O O D E L I S SAL A MO N E , I N N OVA T E H E R

@JACQUELINE.ZAPPEY

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J O I N

T H E

S I S T E R H O O D !

Shero Activation

BE HER For there is always light if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it! Amanda Gorman We were so inspired by this young poet at the Presidential Inauguration, we can't stop quoting her brilliance.

Let's celebrate HERstory with living examples of greatness. Now, it is your turn to go out and be great.

1.

Take a screenshot of

This or That

and tag us in your stories on IG!

#thisorthat

2. It's Women's HERstory Month and we want to celebrate our sisters. Join us all month long. Know a badass woman, TAG her on IG and use #wearewomenHERstory 3.We learned so much about Elinor Otto,

she was a single mom during WWII and worked for 68-years. can you!

If sha can do it, so

Make that promise to yourself

to go after the job of your dreams! #youcandoit

4. We want to see you smash your workout goals, This month Naviere did an awesome job giving you a workout video to do at-home. Share your photo breaking a sweat. #powHERfulYOU