Wanda "Sistah Soldier" Petty CEO/Founder
SHE VET ™ iNSPIRES ARMY VETERAN
March 2020
Never give up on your dreams and visions. It may be an odd idea without any examples for you to follow, but that doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to follow through. It just means God may have wanted you to be the first.
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WomenWhoServed Magazine | March 2020
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REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING IT FOR MONEY “ You have been assigned this mountain so that you can show others it can be moved.” -Mel Robbins
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WOMENWHOSERVED MAGAZINE
CONTENTS WOMENWHOSERVED MAGAZAINE | MARCH 2020 ISSUE
"Never Take Your Service Lightly"
12 ARMY VETERAN Kelly Meade
15 AIR FORCE VETERAN Patty Rodgers
06 WANDA PETTY ENTREPRENEURSHIP Q&A
10 NATIONAL GUARD Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado, MPH
17 MARINE VETERAN {Retirement Spotlight} 13 MILITARY TRANSITION Q&A
Navy Veteran : J. Gayle Gaymon
11
Tanzania Patten-Alexander
WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS (WAC) VETERAN: Willie Belle Irvin-Partridge
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Cover Photo credit: Keisha Jackson
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Army Veteran: Wanda "Sistah Soldier" Petty
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Entrepreneur q&a Army Veteran | WWS: When and why did you start your Company (What's the Name of Your Company) WP: SHE VET™ iNSPIRES. Media Was created in 2012 as a result of a desire to reach other women in the military community who were hiding behind the walls of their homes after transitioning from the service. I also wanted to reach military spouses who experienced years sacrificing their careers and became homemakers. Many of whom have tried everything they could to blend into the civilian community and still felt separated from life and their past career. Transitioning is not as easy as it appears, and people don’t always share the truth about their experiences. We hear about the good parts after they’ve overcome the hurdles, and everything sounds like it was seamless. However, the truth of the matter is “many people experience hardships, depression, loss of income, or homelessness” and it goes unrevealed. My heart yearned to provide hope to those who were experiencing these issues and didn’t know how to express it. So, I faced that challenge head-on by creating SHE VET™ iNSPIRES Television Show. I needed to expose the other side of those experiences. We are “stronger than we think” and we find strength in each other. I knew what it was like because I once endured my own hardships during transitioning, but by not giving up and seeking continued growth, I made it through those dark moments. If I can do it, so can my peers! The term that remains in my mind is “never leave a fallen comrade behind,” so I’ve returned back to reach those who I can, and pray for strength for those whom I can’t.
Wanda Petty
WWS: Name 2-3 challenges faced starting out. WP: I questioned my ability to achieve my goals and visions. Although I retired with 21 years of active duty service, I was lost and felt I didn’t fit the civilian mold. I found myself looking for the perfect place to fit in, but there was none. Why? Because I needed to create it. My physical health wasn’t stellar, and I felt diminished because of it. I forgot I was injured was due to serving my country. So like most of us, I lost confidence in my ability to accomplish things. Reason 2. As a God-fearing woman creating her own future, I was concerned about expressing my love for God. I couldn’t avoid it, because anytime someone would speak with me it was sure to come out. I didn’t want to be judged. I didn’t know what it looked like owning a “Christian business?” Finally, I had to give up going against the grain and worrying whether I would be accepted by society because I love God. It took me a while, but now I’m all in. Not that I’m trying to convince anyone to be a certain way, but I have to be me. Reason 3. I realized I didn’t have to do “everything!” I no longer needed to play the role of being an “Army of One.” That doesn’t work so well when you’re serving a large community. Being an entrepreneur still requires leadership skills, and to be honest that’s when I begin to really appreciate the training I’ve gained being in the military. I’ve learned to balance having a “second wind” although when it kicks in I have more energy to get things done, it also can lead to other habits like forgetting to have self-care. If I find myself running rapid and trying to do it all, I begin delagating.
*continued WomenWhoServed Magazine | March 2020
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q&a continued
WWS: Does any of your Military training and or experience prove to beneficial on this journey?
WWS: Where do you see your Company in the next five years?
WP: Most definitely. I believe my military background helps me endure until I’ve accomplished my goal. Of course, there’s a balance that needs to take place, but in general, being able to plan my projects, and follow them through stems from the training I acquired as a Human Resource Specialist. I worked at the Personnel Service Company (PSC), and all I did was maneuver troops to training and job locations and ensured their families were taken care of while they were away. Now, it’s just a different theme, and we get to really have fun!
WP: I have huge visions for our tribe. This quarter we’re launching the Women Veterans Career Network®, an online certified training academy for women who desire to learn Cyber Security, obtain professional development courses at their own leisure, or become virtual entrepreneurs. The courses include CAPM, Agile, PMP and much more. Although attendees cannot use their GI Bill to enroll, sessions are affordable enough not to hinder their ability to participate. We needed to provide access to jobs that lead to sustainable incomes. So, in five years we’ll have assisted many women who’s transitioned from the military community, and connect them to employers needing thier talents. In addition, to training and placing creatives in the entertainment field that have become familiar with projects as interns, ambassadors, working on set, and being certified with technical skills that allow them to do more than just pay bills.
WWS: Can you recall some of your most rewarding moments thus far. WP: I’ve met some amazing people along the journey of being a talk show host. Every interview adds more insight and a higher level of knowledge. I’m always in awe when someone shares with me how one of my shows has impacted their life. My heart is pleased to know that somebody gets it, and possibly understand that we’re no different than a civilian. We just chose another career path. So, we don’t have to separate ourselves or function in a cocoon to avoid connecting with others in the world. WWS: Have you always been entrepreneur minded and or wanted to become a business owner? WP: Yes. I can remember being a child in California. We had an enormous backyard. One day, I ordered a circus kit from television. My plan was to create my own circus with kids in our neighborhood. I spent weeks planning it out and strategizing how I would pull it off? There was just one problem I needed to have the whole show up and running, then completed before my mom returned home from work? Needless to say, it never happened. That plan has forever remained in my mind. In my first business venture, I became a Mary Kay Consultant, and the rest is history.
Never give up on your dreams and visions. It may be an odd idea without any examples for you to follow, but that doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to follow through. It just means God may have wanted you to be the first, and when you know its a “God-idea” protect it. Do what you must do to guard your creativity. Allow yourself to think things through, and seek a mentor. I’ve avoided years of mistakes and spending thousands of dollars by investing in mentorship. A mentor can be the best thing that’s ever happened for you as an entrepreneur.
WomenWhoServed Magazine | January 2020
" Do what you must do to guard your creativity. Allow yourself to think things through, and seek a mentor ".
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Army National Guard Veteran |
Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado, MPH Ashley Gorbulja-Maldonado, MPH started her military career in the Ohio Army National Guard as a 31B (military police), as a mere private in 2011 attempting to gain her own financial footing to alleviate the economic burden on her family. Up to that point, she would not have been able to afford school nor had it been encouraged. She tells her soldiers frequently “dispositions are not destinies; that with planning, resourcefulness, perseverance, and discipline you can build any door of opportunity with time and patience.� Ashley became an NCO in the first three and a half years of her career participating in best warrior competitions, taking initiative through additional duties, and acting as an education liaison for her company. Ashley spent all of her service within the great state of Ohio under state side missions such as homeland response force (HRF) and force readiness units (FRU) throughout the 437th Military Police Battalion and has not deployed. She served as an SGT in SSG in-line promotion with the 135th Military Police Company. She is a recipient of ARCAM and Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and multiple superior ranked evaluations among her peers. Ashley exited the National Guard after 8 years of honorable service in November 2019. She is working on a packet to direct commission as an officer with the Army Reserves or return to the DC National Guard in 2020. WomenWhoServed Magazine | March 2020
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Women's Army Corps (WAC) Veteran:Â
Willie Belle Irvin-Partridge Willie Belle Irvin
Member of: 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
{I would like to share a little of my mother's story;} Tec-5 Willie Belle Irvin. She was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. She was raised in the deep segregated south. The oldest of ten, she had big dreams of one day attending college and becoming the first nurse in her family. But, my grandparents could not afford to send her to college. She refused to work out in the fields or as a domestic worker for the rest of her life. She learned about the Army recruiting AfricanAmerican women from her brother who had recently volunteered for the Army. She decided that faith had given her another way to follow her dreams. My mother joined the ( WAC ) on July 19, 1944, after completing her basic training and schooling at Fort McClendon Alabama, she was chosen to go overseas with a very unique all black female battalion. Daughter, Brenda G. Partridge-B
"... member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. ... was raised in the deep segregated south. The oldest of ten, she had big dreams of one day attending college and becoming the first nurse in her family". WomenWhoServed Magazine | March 2020
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Army Veteran|
Kelly Meade Kelly Meade is a US Army disabled veteran who proudly served our country from 1985-1989 on active duty. In the Army, she was a truck driver and was stationed at Ft. Carson Colorado (4th Infantry Division). Kelly was assigned to DISCOM and supported the troops delivering fuel while also working in the S1. For more than five (5) years now, Kelly has been a mentor with the North Oakland County Veteran Treatment Court. Her outstanding interpersonal skills in addition to her relation to trauma, allows her to compassionately guide and counsel fellow veterans through difficult transitional periods of their life. Kelly has assisted numerous veterans and remains in contact with her mentees even after graduation. Many of whom she calls friends. Upon leaving the military, Kelly landed in Long Island, New York to begin a civilian career in third party debt collections. In 1992, she moved back to her home state of Michigan and continued her very successful career in the debt collection arena. She is considered a leading expert in this field. Her current and continual work with the State of Michigan is an integral part of revising the Collection Manager state licensing exam. This exam is a mandatory component of all those seeking a management position within the debt collection industry. Kelly is also a Master Herbalist, Reiki Master, and Holistic/Spiritual Counselor with Strong Guidance, LLC. Besides her interests in healing modalities she is also a lifelong animal lover, animal behaviorist and dog trainer with a specialization in bulldog breeds. She conducts temperament testing for numerous rescues throughout the state.
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Military Transition Navy Veteran |
q&a
J. Gayle Gaymon WWS: When did you start preparing to transition out of the Military? JG: I never "prepped" for my transition from the US Navy to civilian life. I got married while in the US Navy. When I was enlisted during the Vietnam Era, women that became pregnant were automatically given a General Discharge. I wanted an Honorable Discharge..I wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Navy and asked him, if I could complete my enlistment. He agreed. My husband, Harry Lee Gaymon, was a Hospital Corpsman, too. He worked days and I worked night. My son, was born and I sent him to live with my Aunt Bettie Geiger in Brooklyn, NY. Near the end of my enlistment, I became pregnant with my second child. WWS: What program(s) do or did the Military offer to assist you with transitioning? JG: To my knowledge there was no program. I served my time from 1972-1975. I went back home to Brooklyn, NY and filed for unemployment for several months. But, after I found an apartment, and my furniture was delivered, because I was a non commissioned officer, and my husband was still in the US Navy, I applied for employment at the Veteran Administration, and I was hired immediately. Also, I enrolled in New York City Community College. WWS: Were you confident to enter into the civilian work space amongst other areas upon transitioning out of the Military? JG: Yes, Working at the Veterans Administration Out Patient Clinic, 35 Reyerson Street, Brooklyn, NY was an excellent start for me. The job was day hours and there were no required working on week-ends. WomenWhoServed Magazine | March 2020
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q&a continued
WWS: What are 2-3 challenges you are or have faced during your transition? JG: I never really had any. I always had a plan. I knew that I was going to get a job, an apartment, and go back to college.. I was hired under the Vocation Rehabilitation and Employment services. I was a Hospital Corpsman in the US Navy. I easily moved into being a Medical Assistant in the Triage Clinic. I did not need any additional training. WWS: What are 2-3 resources you wish were made available to you to aid in a smooth transition? JG: None that I can think of. It worked out for me.
Being in the United States Navy empowered me. I would not be the person that I am today, without that beginning. It was the time of my life.
I would advise every woman veteran to register at the Veterans Administration. Every VA Medical Center has a Transition and Care Management Team, and they still have the Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment services. It is a place to take are of any medical concerns and to begin a career. You can always have lateral movement to something else. After being in a military workforce, the veterans Administration is a similarly situated work environment.
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Air Force Veteran |
Patty Rodgers Cold War veteran, two overseas remote tours, California legislative aide. Make {ing} the right decision for you and your family.
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Retirement Spotlight Marine Veteran |
Tanzania Patten-Alexander
"Today is a special day! It is my last day as an Active Duty Marine. (02.29/2020) I am appreciative, proud, humbled, and honored! I am also stronger both, mentally and physically, I am courageous, and I am a survivor! Entering the military was a great decision, I entered without a HS diploma and retired with a Masters Degree. I entered childless and retired with two amazing sons. Entered single and retired with a great man. Entered never having been sexually harassed and retired knowing the damage sexual harassment causes. Entered never experiencing the loss of a friend/associate to suicide, retired knowing the pain and lingering questions suicide creates. I appreciate my time as an Active Duty Marine & can only hope the future of the Corps continues to improve, Marines continue to be GREAT, harassment levels decline, and suicide rates decline. Semper Fi! Tanzania...OUT!"
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