WEBVTT 00:00:04.809 --> 00:00:08.630 All across America and around the world, this 00:00:08.630 --> 00:00:15.009 is Veterans Radio. This is Veterans Radio. And 00:00:15.009 --> 00:00:19.010 now, your host for today's program, Dale Throneberry. 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:24.219 Hey, welcome to Veterans Radio. Good afternoon. 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:26.199 Good morning wherever you are listening to this 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:29.239 program. Thank you very much for tuning in I 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:31.359 think we've got a really good program for you 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:33.859 today Obviously, we're gonna be talking about 00:00:33.859 --> 00:00:36.200 women in the military There's been a little bit 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.740 of controversy going on in the recent a couple 00:00:39.740 --> 00:00:42.789 of months about this And so we thought that we 00:00:42.789 --> 00:00:45.929 would get the woman side of this issue. So we've 00:00:45.929 --> 00:00:48.990 got three women veterans on the program today, 00:00:48.990 --> 00:00:51.570 which I'll introduce in a little bit. And but 00:00:51.570 --> 00:00:53.689 we're asking you if you happen to be a woman 00:00:53.689 --> 00:00:56.729 veteran or you have a comment about how you feel 00:00:56.729 --> 00:00:59.090 about women in the military, please give us a 00:00:59.090 --> 00:01:06.810 call here at WAM 734 -822 -1600. 734 -822 -1600. 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:08.709 Unfortunately, obviously, if you're listening 00:01:08.709 --> 00:01:11.819 to this as a pre as a pre -recorded programming 00:01:11.819 --> 00:01:14.859 won't be able to get the call in. So anyway, 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:16.900 so we'll get right to that in just a second, 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:20.140 but I wanted again to welcome everybody to Veterans 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:23.019 Radio. There are two events that I want to mention 00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:32.219 today. One is that the 22 vets a day, back up 00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:37.260 Dale, okay 22 vets a day are placing crosses 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:40.480 out at the Washtenaw County Vietnam Veterans 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.060 Memorial at the intersection out there on here 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:46.659 on River Drive and they are looking for volunteers 00:01:46.659 --> 00:01:50.579 to help them put in the 22 crosses a day. They 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:54.719 put them in every day at 10 o 'clock and they're 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:56.900 going to be doing this up until Veterans Day. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.780 So if you are driving along and outside there 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:03.159 in Ypsilanti Township going down here on River 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:05.930 Drive and you see a bunch of people out there 00:02:05.930 --> 00:02:08.229 with some crosses in the ground. They could really 00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:11.289 use your help in putting them in on a daily basis. 00:02:11.389 --> 00:02:14.289 So that's that word. The other thing is that 00:02:14.289 --> 00:02:21.969 there is a concert coming up here and here it 00:02:21.969 --> 00:02:26.960 is. It's coming from Celine. The Celine New Horizon 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.919 Band is presenting the Joe Labuda Memorial Veterans 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:35.719 Day Concert on Sunday, October 26th at 3 p .m. 00:02:35.819 --> 00:02:37.599 and it's going to be held at the Celine Middle 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:41.930 School. That sounds pretty cool. military music 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:44.449 and so forth. So let me repeat that real quick. 00:02:44.610 --> 00:02:47.629 It's the Celine New Horizons band, and it's gonna 00:02:47.629 --> 00:02:50.590 be a Veterans Day concert at Celine Middle School 00:02:50.590 --> 00:02:56.090 on Sunday, October 26th at 3 p .m. And if you 00:02:56.090 --> 00:02:58.770 have any announcements that you want me to make 00:02:58.770 --> 00:03:01.289 or us to make here on Veterans Radio, let me 00:03:01.289 --> 00:03:04.030 know and we'll get those out, not just for our 00:03:04.030 --> 00:03:06.990 local audience, but for our audiences in Detroit, 00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:11.810 California, Maine. across the country. So yeah, 00:03:11.969 --> 00:03:14.629 just let us know. Send me an email dale at veteransradio 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:17.610 .org and I'll get that out for you. Before we 00:03:17.610 --> 00:03:20.330 get into talking with our guests today, I got 00:03:20.330 --> 00:03:22.449 to thank our sponsors. We can't do this program 00:03:22.449 --> 00:03:26.219 without our sponsors. Um, so let me get into 00:03:26.219 --> 00:03:28.500 that that's legal help for veterans legal help 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:31.139 for veterans specializes in veterans disability 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:33.719 claims Call legal help for veterans at eight 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:36.479 hundred six nine three four eight zero zero or 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.159 go to their website legalhelpforveterans .com 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.159 The National Veterans Business Development Council, 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.479 better known as NVBDC, is the nation's leading 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:48.000 third -party authority for certification of veteran 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.419 -owned businesses. For more information go to 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:53.639 their website nvbdc .org or give them a call 00:03:53.639 --> 00:04:00.479 at 888 -237 -8433. PuroClean, known as the paramedics 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.120 of property damage, each PuroClean office is 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:06.000 independently owned and operated. In fact, PuroClean 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.520 is one of the nation's leading restoration franchise 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.919 programs. And just for veterans, you get a 25 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.819 % off the franchise fee. It's pretty cool. For 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:19.209 more information, go to puroclean .com. And I 00:04:19.209 --> 00:04:21.230 also want to make sure we thank the Irwin Prescor 00:04:21.230 --> 00:04:24.290 and American Post 46 and the Charles S. Kettles 00:04:24.290 --> 00:04:27.449 Vietnam Veterans of America chapter 310, both 00:04:27.449 --> 00:04:30.069 of Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you'd like to support 00:04:30.069 --> 00:04:33.670 Veterans Radio, please go to our website, veteransradio 00:04:33.670 --> 00:04:36.269 .org and click on the donate button. Thank you 00:04:36.269 --> 00:04:42.930 in advance. Okay, here we go. So one of my guests 00:04:42.930 --> 00:04:46.620 today, Kate Melcher, sent me forwarded or shared 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:49.540 an email. I'm not really sure of all the terminology 00:04:49.540 --> 00:04:54.160 that goes on out there, but she sent me this 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.439 copy of a post that one of our other guests, 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:03.540 Mindy Dougan -Martin, had sent out regarding 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:07.579 the highest male standard and so forth that's 00:05:07.579 --> 00:05:10.879 going on out there. I wanted to get a hold of 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:13.800 this woman and luckily I was able to. So first 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:18.060 of all let me introduce her and this is Misty 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:22.060 Dugan Martin. She is a retired Army Lieutenant 00:05:22.060 --> 00:05:28.100 Colonel I think and she's also spent 21 years 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:31.000 in the military and she has started up her own 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.660 business called M3 Defense Counseling which we'll 00:05:33.660 --> 00:05:36.220 get to in just a moment. So Misty I want to welcome 00:05:36.220 --> 00:05:39.079 you to Veterans Radio. Thank you so much. I appreciate 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:42.680 it. Well, and also because of this, I wanted 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.000 to get some other ideas here, kind of spread 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:49.459 across the age groups of veterans in our local 00:05:49.459 --> 00:05:52.699 area. So I did ask Kate Melcher to join us. Kate 00:05:52.699 --> 00:05:56.860 is a, was, I have to put that, she is right now, 00:05:56.920 --> 00:06:00.240 she is the executive director of Fisher House, 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:05.079 Michigan, but she was also an Apache Longbow 00:06:05.370 --> 00:06:09.670 pilot in her former lifetime and is very active 00:06:09.670 --> 00:06:14.069 in the local veterans community. So Kate, welcome 00:06:14.069 --> 00:06:16.790 back to Veterans Radio. Thanks so much. It's 00:06:16.790 --> 00:06:19.689 always great to be on the program. And joining 00:06:19.689 --> 00:06:23.889 us is Lydia Pinkham and Lydia is a Coast Guard 00:06:23.889 --> 00:06:27.740 veteran and she was a search and rescue uh petty 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:31.100 officer second class and she's also I have to 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:33.279 you know make this disclaimer here that that 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:37.060 both kate and lydia are on the board for veterans 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:40.560 radio america so anyway so lydia thanks very 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:43.240 much for joining us thanks for having us too 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:52.399 okay so misty let's start with you what we all 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.259 know that there are uh a lot of things going 00:06:55.259 --> 00:06:58.879 on out there and political world and the military 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.379 world right now. What motivated you to write 00:07:01.379 --> 00:07:07.939 this particular essay? I think it was just sharing 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:11.920 a lot of the negativity and to see us having 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.360 to fight some of the same fights that we did. 00:07:16.180 --> 00:07:19.040 I thought that we were passed 10, 15, 20 years 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:22.939 ago, being able to give credit for what we were 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:26.959 doing because women have been serving For decades 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.420 and you know and even before that so I think 00:07:30.420 --> 00:07:32.620 that that was the biggest thing was just the 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:36.079 frustration of you know Hearing that those rights 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.680 to to serve in combat and get the credit for 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.439 serving in combat For women was what was frustrating 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:46.399 me and kind of what led to me posting them Well, 00:07:46.459 --> 00:07:48.819 what one of the lines that are the one that it 00:07:48.819 --> 00:07:55.819 really? Got me was the idea that You don't have 00:07:55.819 --> 00:07:59.079 to be a muscle man to do so many of the tasks 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:03.000 that we're doing today in today's military. And 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:08.920 as you pointed out in there is that it, I'm trying 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:11.699 to find the line here and I can't find it, of 00:08:11.699 --> 00:08:14.240 course. Okay, here it is. Decades of training 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.500 data and operational experience show that women 00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:20.250 consistently excel in endurance. fine motor control, 00:08:20.410 --> 00:08:22.490 stress management, and decision making under 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:25.709 fatigue. When the training and opportunity are 00:08:25.709 --> 00:08:28.089 equal, women prove again and again that effectiveness 00:08:28.089 --> 00:08:31.189 in combat has nothing to do with gender and everything 00:08:31.189 --> 00:08:34.789 to do with discipline, composure, and grit. That 00:08:34.789 --> 00:08:39.090 line, I thought, encapsulated everything that 00:08:39.090 --> 00:08:42.370 is going on out there, I think. I think there's 00:08:42.370 --> 00:08:46.830 a lot of misinformation that's being spread regarding 00:08:48.419 --> 00:08:51.399 what women are capable of doing in the military. 00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:56.620 I have talked with Tammy Duckworth, who was also 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:59.679 a helicopter pilot. People may be familiar with 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:02.100 her. She's a senator from the state of Illinois. 00:09:02.220 --> 00:09:05.080 She shot down, lost both legs as a result of 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:09.379 her combat experience. And she echoes what you 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:15.090 are saying. So. I'm trying to figure out how 00:09:15.090 --> 00:09:17.490 do you, how, how do you feel about what's going 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:20.110 on out there? And I'm going to ask Lydia and 00:09:20.110 --> 00:09:22.309 Kate to jump in if you'd like to, because this, 00:09:22.529 --> 00:09:24.710 this is going to affect, it affects your generation 00:09:24.710 --> 00:09:26.909 especially, but I think it's going to affect 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:30.590 recruiting as we can, you know, go into the future. 00:09:32.690 --> 00:09:35.129 You know, Dale, one of the things that I always 00:09:35.129 --> 00:09:40.879 appreciated about the army is that it was It 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:42.960 was truly a place for men and women to compete 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:47.840 on a level playing field. I served in a more 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.840 technical MOS. I was a helicopter pilot. And 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:53.539 there are not different standards for men and 00:09:53.539 --> 00:09:56.500 women in flying helicopters. You either meet 00:09:56.500 --> 00:09:59.200 the standards of safety of flight or you don't. 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:04.639 Does not matter what your gender is. When I was 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:07.440 in a line company, I never saw other women. I 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:12.230 was the only one. and you know that was unique 00:10:12.230 --> 00:10:14.549 and new and you know it took a little bit of 00:10:14.549 --> 00:10:16.789 adjustment but at the end of the day it's about 00:10:16.789 --> 00:10:18.529 safety of flight, it's about making mission, 00:10:18.730 --> 00:10:22.210 and there are not different standards for men 00:10:22.210 --> 00:10:27.429 and women. I think the carefully selected words 00:10:27.429 --> 00:10:29.149 that we've been hearing from the Secretary of 00:10:29.149 --> 00:10:34.230 Defense have been selected with a certain agenda 00:10:34.230 --> 00:10:39.379 in mind. and not focusing on the fact of female 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:42.440 service members having served honorably for a 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:47.320 century. It's only been since 2013 and 2016 that 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:49.500 women were, you know, allowed to be in combat, 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.360 quote unquote, or allowed to serve in combat 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:55.139 arms MOSs. But there have been women on the battlefield 00:10:55.139 --> 00:10:59.419 throughout American history. What has changed 00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:03.460 is not our ability to participate, but our ability 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:07.750 to be recognized for it. until 2013 and certainly 00:11:07.750 --> 00:11:11.509 until 2016, you could have a male and female 00:11:11.509 --> 00:11:14.529 soldier side by side at a checkpoint when a V 00:11:14.529 --> 00:11:18.929 -bed goes off. And the decorations that those 00:11:18.929 --> 00:11:22.009 two soldiers would receive would be different 00:11:22.009 --> 00:11:26.570 simply because of gender. One would have either 00:11:26.570 --> 00:11:29.629 taken action or received wounds because of combat. 00:11:30.429 --> 00:11:35.210 The other wouldn't. In my mind, it's never been 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:37.970 a question about the ability of women. It's it's 00:11:37.970 --> 00:11:40.889 been about The military actually recognizing 00:11:40.889 --> 00:11:45.590 the contribution of these women. I Couldn't agree 00:11:45.590 --> 00:11:48.070 with you more. I think you know many times awards 00:11:48.070 --> 00:11:51.830 are Happen to be who sees who happens to be there 00:11:51.830 --> 00:11:55.830 when and whatever it is occurs And I know it's 00:11:55.830 --> 00:11:57.970 not just women when you go back and you look 00:11:57.970 --> 00:12:02.620 at at the history of military honors, medals, 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:06.340 and so forth, that there's a certain amount of 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.700 discrimination that has occurred not only with 00:12:08.700 --> 00:12:11.840 women, but also with other minorities, which 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:13.539 is kind of sad when you think about it, because 00:12:13.539 --> 00:12:18.840 we're all fighting for the same cause. And it's 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:22.039 just really annoying. It's really annoying when 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:26.659 you think about, not the philosophy of the whole 00:12:26.659 --> 00:12:30.620 thing, but just the the physicality of it. I 00:12:30.620 --> 00:12:33.460 know, Missy, I'm going to come back to you. You 00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:37.779 talked about some of the physiological advantages 00:12:37.779 --> 00:12:40.700 that some women have when it comes to being in 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:46.440 the military. I think I was a counterintelligence 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:50.159 agent for the first decade of my career. And 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:52.779 I think there are a lot of things that we've 00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:56.490 learned. let's say with the tiger teams and with 00:12:56.490 --> 00:13:00.350 bringing women in to serve with our special teams 00:13:00.350 --> 00:13:04.830 because they were able to gather intel that would 00:13:04.830 --> 00:13:06.350 not have been able to have been gathered from 00:13:06.350 --> 00:13:09.269 a man because the women in foreign countries 00:13:09.269 --> 00:13:12.210 did not speak with the men. But they were sitting 00:13:12.210 --> 00:13:16.970 there and listening to everything going on because 00:13:16.970 --> 00:13:21.299 where they were they were considered important, 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:22.500 but they're sitting there and they're hearing 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:24.440 everything. So once we started incorporating, 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.100 you know, our female service members into those 00:13:28.100 --> 00:13:31.779 groups, they were able to gather that intel that 00:13:31.779 --> 00:13:34.519 these women heard. And I think there are some 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:38.620 things that, you know, just like. There's some 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:41.200 things that you can do just as well, no matter 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.620 what your gender is. Some people are born leaders. 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:45.460 I really believe that. I think there are some 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:48.019 people that have an act for leading, and it's 00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:51.639 not a male -female. There's great leaders in 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:57.750 both. And I think that leadership... can happen 00:13:57.750 --> 00:13:59.629 you know no matter no matter what your gender 00:13:59.629 --> 00:14:03.590 is and being a pilot being an astronaut there's 00:14:03.590 --> 00:14:06.529 certain things that you know women's bodies do 00:14:06.529 --> 00:14:09.549 better than men and you know but it's you know 00:14:09.549 --> 00:14:11.909 we're not saying that men can't be pilots because 00:14:11.909 --> 00:14:15.649 of that you know so i i think that you know and 00:14:15.649 --> 00:14:18.710 into what kate said you know i served in combat 00:14:18.710 --> 00:14:22.629 i did three tours um and and saw combat and stuff 00:14:22.629 --> 00:14:26.090 and uh but you know when it came time to be awarded 00:14:26.090 --> 00:14:29.730 combat action badges and stuff i wasn't in combat 00:14:29.730 --> 00:14:32.330 um because i wasn't in combat arms and stuff 00:14:32.330 --> 00:14:36.190 so uh those things are frustrating and i think 00:14:36.190 --> 00:14:39.629 it's also looking at what we're talking about 00:14:39.629 --> 00:14:43.809 now uh it is going to you know harm our recruiting 00:14:43.809 --> 00:14:46.470 and and what we're you know we want our young 00:14:46.470 --> 00:14:49.389 women to see and to do and I think anybody that 00:14:49.389 --> 00:14:51.529 is willing to lay down their life for their country 00:14:51.529 --> 00:14:54.830 deserves respect and deserves to be you know 00:14:54.830 --> 00:14:56.870 supported in anything they want to do in any 00:14:56.870 --> 00:14:58.990 branch they want to do as long as they can you 00:14:58.990 --> 00:15:02.889 know do that skill and I do I believe wholeheartedly 00:15:02.889 --> 00:15:06.210 that you know some men some women are better 00:15:06.210 --> 00:15:08.590 at you know at shooting it better you know rocking 00:15:08.590 --> 00:15:11.029 it better you know you go with what your skills 00:15:11.029 --> 00:15:14.669 are and what your heart leads you to do and you 00:15:14.669 --> 00:15:17.610 know That's that's what it takes is it takes 00:15:17.610 --> 00:15:21.990 the mental strength the endurance and things 00:15:21.990 --> 00:15:24.070 but i don't think it's a gender specified and 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:27.870 i really don't think we should take away. Women's 00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:31.029 rights to serving combat and what a lot of people 00:15:31.029 --> 00:15:34.070 don't see is that also when you take away women's 00:15:34.070 --> 00:15:37.370 rights to serving combat and stuff it also in 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:40.090 the combat arms it hurts us as far as promotions. 00:15:41.079 --> 00:15:43.759 Um, you know, if you look at your four star and 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:45.620 your five star during, you know, combat times 00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:47.559 and stuff like that, they come from combat arms 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.440 most, most of the time, or they come from because 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:53.539 they saw, you know, or they led certain units. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:56.559 And if we take away women's rights to serve in 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.480 some of those high profile things, then, you 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.919 know, we're also keeping them from, you know, 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:06.379 some to make it certain ranks and things as well. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:11.559 For our audience sake is can you give me a little 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:13.659 background on what you did while you were in 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:17.720 the service? So I served 21 years in the active 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:22.220 army and I was amongst those in counterintelligence 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:26.740 So I was the intelligence officer for Combat 00:16:26.740 --> 00:16:30.000 engineer group triple nickel. I served I didn't 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.139 you know Train different training exercises and 00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:36.860 stuff. I deployed with a special ops unit in 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:41.629 2006 And again, in 2007, I did two tours in Iraq 00:16:41.629 --> 00:16:45.110 and then became an acquisition officer and ran 00:16:45.110 --> 00:16:48.490 the programs for Stryker, which is like a wheeled 00:16:48.490 --> 00:16:51.750 tank, more or less. I ran that program and deployed 00:16:51.750 --> 00:16:54.610 to Afghanistan to support our Stryker unit over 00:16:54.610 --> 00:17:00.169 there. And then ran the GLTB program and retired 00:17:00.169 --> 00:17:04.269 at the end of 2016. And now you run your own 00:17:04.269 --> 00:17:12.289 firm. Yeah, so I run M3 Defence Consulting. This 00:17:12.289 --> 00:17:15.490 is our ninth, going on our 10th year now. So 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:18.509 I, you know, when I retired, I wasn't done giving 00:17:18.509 --> 00:17:21.210 back to the community. I retired because it was 00:17:21.210 --> 00:17:23.829 the best thing at the time for my family. I had 00:17:23.829 --> 00:17:26.450 two boys that were getting ready to start. One 00:17:26.450 --> 00:17:28.609 was being scouted for college hockey and the 00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:30.349 other getting ready to start high school. And 00:17:30.349 --> 00:17:34.539 I was a single parent. But I wanted to continue 00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:38.059 to help the community and help the war fighter. 00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:41.579 And so I decided to start a consulting company 00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:44.460 that helps companies get contracts with the government, 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.539 helps the government. I've done a couple of things 00:17:46.539 --> 00:17:48.660 for the government and stuff. And that way I'm 00:17:48.660 --> 00:17:51.480 allowed to continue to give back, but a little 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:53.539 more on my own terms. I get to be my own boss 00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:57.160 for a change. Yes. Not having somebody tell you 00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:02.400 what to do. Yeah. Dale, I want to interject for 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.839 just a minute since you were talking about your 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.140 son's misty. I understand one of your sons recently 00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:09.380 enlisted. Is that right? So actually during COVID, 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:12.140 he enlisted as a Levin Bravo infantryman. And 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:15.440 then he went back to be served and then he went 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.640 back to college and he's the second lieutenant 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:21.940 in the army. Excellent. So what what are you 00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:25.640 telling your young son as a junior officer about? 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:29.460 what's being said in the ether about women serving 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:33.859 in the military. So my future daughter -in -law 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:37.539 is a cadet and in the National Guard here. So 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:42.460 I get to his fiance. And so I talked to both 00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:46.819 of them quite a bit about why it's important 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:49.880 for these branches and for everything to be open 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:54.750 to for everybody. And I think the biggest thing 00:18:54.750 --> 00:18:59.230 that I try to instill in him is, besides leadership, 00:18:59.890 --> 00:19:04.470 is that not to assume anything from anyone based 00:19:04.470 --> 00:19:10.269 on gender or looks or any of that, but to guide 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:15.829 and to support everybody and see more or less 00:19:15.829 --> 00:19:20.529 what they're made of. And I think that To keep 00:19:20.529 --> 00:19:24.509 an open mind, that's my biggest concern is people 00:19:24.509 --> 00:19:27.690 that have not experienced what some of us have 00:19:27.690 --> 00:19:31.470 experienced. And there's fewer and fewer of them 00:19:31.470 --> 00:19:33.549 in the military, you know, because a lot of them 00:19:33.549 --> 00:19:37.450 are retiring now. And so I think that guidance 00:19:37.450 --> 00:19:41.470 is being lost. Those of us that served and, you 00:19:41.470 --> 00:19:43.769 know, went out through the ranks not being allowed 00:19:43.769 --> 00:19:47.119 to. be a combat, you know, in a combat skills 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.019 and then finally getting that opportunity. So 00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:52.140 I just try to share that and both my boys, you 00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:54.940 know, they're military brats. So and they were, 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:56.740 you know, while I was stationed with, I was with 00:19:56.740 --> 00:19:58.819 the use of SOC, Special Operations Command and 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:00.759 stuff. So they got to be a part of that family 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:03.359 and they know how close the military can be. 00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:07.299 And so they're both very pro, you know, women 00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:10.380 in the military and pro women's rights and stuff. 00:20:10.819 --> 00:20:14.039 But I think it's just talking through things 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:15.660 with them and hearing their side, because I think 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:18.059 that's one of the biggest things that young people 00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:21.519 are frustrated with. And where we lose some of 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:24.460 our, you know, our people is feeling like they're 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:27.420 not being heard. And so talking to them and understanding 00:20:27.420 --> 00:20:31.180 their point of view, but trying to explain why 00:20:31.180 --> 00:20:35.319 things are important and what the effects are. 00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:38.299 Because like I said, people don't assimilate 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:40.920 the not being able to serve in a common arms 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:43.440 with not being able to make rank you know unless 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:45.779 you really understand the nitty -gritty of the 00:20:45.779 --> 00:20:48.039 military and stuff and so explaining those things 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:50.380 and explaining the you know how would you feel 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:52.460 if something that you wanted all your life you 00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:54.400 weren't allowed to do or you were told you couldn't 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:58.220 do because of your gender you know and i think 00:20:58.220 --> 00:21:00.559 that's some of the guidance i keep telling them 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:03.920 and you know to you know i tell my future daughter 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:05.980 -in -law just shoot for the stars you know don't 00:21:05.980 --> 00:21:08.779 take you know don't take no for an answer Um, 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:12.019 there's no reason you can't. And, um, you know, 00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:13.940 with them both being there, they're in that, 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.279 you know, Hey, we really can't say anything political 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.279 or anything. And so that was another reason that 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:21.500 I tried to be more vocal. And why I made that 00:21:21.500 --> 00:21:24.180 post is because now I do, I am allowed to have 00:21:24.180 --> 00:21:27.920 a voice and I try very hard to use that, but 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.500 to use it and to educate and not spread hate. 00:21:31.660 --> 00:21:33.779 Absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more on 00:21:33.779 --> 00:21:37.430 that. Um, Lydia, I wanted to ask you. You know 00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:39.130 since you're kind of the youngest of the group 00:21:39.130 --> 00:21:42.910 here that you know that what caused you to enlist 00:21:42.910 --> 00:21:48.410 in the first place? Honestly Dale I I talked 00:21:48.410 --> 00:21:51.210 to a recruiter after being a swimmer my entire 00:21:51.210 --> 00:21:54.250 life I was I think fresh out of high school or 00:21:54.250 --> 00:21:55.750 last year of high school. I can't remember when 00:21:55.750 --> 00:21:58.269 and This guy came up to me at a swimming and 00:21:58.269 --> 00:22:00.089 he said have you ever thought about joining the 00:22:00.089 --> 00:22:02.269 Coast Guard and I went What's the Coast Guard 00:22:02.269 --> 00:22:09.029 again? But it was presented to me as an opportunity 00:22:09.029 --> 00:22:12.589 to help people getting the same benefits that 00:22:12.589 --> 00:22:15.710 everyone else in the military got. But that it 00:22:15.710 --> 00:22:19.509 was here, it was domestic. It was protecting 00:22:19.509 --> 00:22:21.990 the United States and serving and helping people 00:22:21.990 --> 00:22:25.890 instead of presented in this lens of going overseas 00:22:25.890 --> 00:22:32.359 and being part of a war. more like serving people 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:35.339 instead of being part of a conflict is the way 00:22:35.339 --> 00:22:41.180 that it's framed. But I was very drawn in by 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:43.859 the benefits, specifically education benefits. 00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:47.240 But I also needed some direction at the time. 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:49.460 I didn't really know what I was doing with school 00:22:49.460 --> 00:22:54.619 and it was a good opportunity for me. But when 00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:58.170 I went in, I was talking to a recruiter. I was 00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:01.130 working on a contract, an employment contract 00:23:01.130 --> 00:23:03.009 that still had six months left. But the recruiter 00:23:03.009 --> 00:23:05.670 was trying to get me to go immediately because 00:23:05.670 --> 00:23:07.829 they needed women. They had a quota that they 00:23:07.829 --> 00:23:09.869 were trying to meet to recruit women that year. 00:23:10.349 --> 00:23:12.710 And at the time that I went in, the Coast Guard 00:23:12.710 --> 00:23:16.849 was only about 10 percent female. And they were 00:23:16.849 --> 00:23:18.990 he was saying, you know, could you go next week? 00:23:19.049 --> 00:23:20.809 You could leave for boot camp next week. And 00:23:20.809 --> 00:23:24.009 I panicked and said, give me a couple of months. 00:23:25.329 --> 00:23:28.170 So I mean, I originally went in for the benefits. 00:23:28.970 --> 00:23:31.750 And I loved being on the water. I loved swimming. 00:23:31.809 --> 00:23:35.890 And I just really wanted to help people. And 00:23:35.890 --> 00:23:38.250 I think when I got out, it was a little bit higher 00:23:38.250 --> 00:23:42.930 by the time I get out, I think about 14%. But 00:23:42.930 --> 00:23:46.470 I served at a couple different units that had 00:23:46.470 --> 00:23:50.109 very low percentages of women. So on a ship based 00:23:50.109 --> 00:23:53.779 out in the Pacific Ocean, a crew of about 180. 00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:56.440 And I want to say there were maybe only 25 women 00:23:56.440 --> 00:24:00.599 on board. And then my unit in Florida, I was 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:02.539 at a searching rescue and law enforcement unit, 00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:04.519 and we had a couple women at the station. But 00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:06.279 for a long time, I was the only woman on the 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:12.920 tactical operating team. So it's, I've, I've 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:15.319 kind of gotten used to being one of the only 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:21.539 women at a unit. And I I have a lot of feelings 00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:24.980 about the things that are going on now, what 00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:27.000 we're hearing, the messages that are being sent 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:30.579 down to the people in the military now and to 00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:35.640 the general public and trying to organize all 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:37.599 these thoughts to contribute to this conversation 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:41.000 is really hard because I feel a lot of things. 00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:46.900 we talked in the very beginning of this conversation 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:49.880 about things like a physical fitness test and 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:53.920 women being able to meet the the highest standard 00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:59.000 that men are held to and I We went through a 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:02.960 lot at my Florida unit trying to suggest and 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:07.160 submit recommendations for a universal fitness 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:09.279 test that dependent on the type of unit you were 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:13.109 at so our fitness test when I was down there 00:25:13.109 --> 00:25:16.730 in Florida was like a run or a swim, push -ups, 00:25:17.170 --> 00:25:20.549 your sit and reach, and your sit -ups or crunches. 00:25:22.049 --> 00:25:25.109 And we just did not feel like those were adequate 00:25:25.109 --> 00:25:27.849 representations of how capable we were at doing 00:25:27.849 --> 00:25:32.769 our jobs. And instead of push -ups, a better 00:25:32.769 --> 00:25:34.750 way to evaluate whether someone was good at my 00:25:34.750 --> 00:25:36.910 job was to throw a giant sack of potatoes in 00:25:36.910 --> 00:25:39.079 the water and make them heave it out. couple 00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:40.619 times in a row, because that's what we were doing, 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:43.680 or pulling bodies out of the water. And you can 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.299 have a certain type of strength. Maybe you're 00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:47.980 great at pull ups, but really terrible at pulling 00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:52.019 a human being out of the water. So we were trying 00:25:52.019 --> 00:25:56.660 to come up with some way to evaluate physical 00:25:56.660 --> 00:25:58.579 fitness in a way that was actually applicable 00:25:58.579 --> 00:26:04.019 to the job that you're doing. there's no difference 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:06.019 there with men or women. If you can do the job 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:07.420 that you're supposed to be doing, you should 00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:11.940 be allowed to do the job. So, you know, I have 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:13.880 a lot of feelings about the PT test, mostly because 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:16.240 I am not built for pull -ups, but I can pull 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:22.460 someone out of the water pretty well. So, yeah, 00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:25.420 I have feelings about this, you know, highest 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:28.119 standard when it should depend on the job. If 00:26:28.119 --> 00:26:31.220 you can do the jobs and that should be good enough. 00:26:31.880 --> 00:26:34.519 Thanks. So I agree. I agree. And so how does 00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:38.920 educational benefits pay off? Pretty well. I 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:41.940 have a couple degrees all paid for by the government 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:46.500 in some way or another. And I work as an academic 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:48.960 advisor now for engineering doctorate students. 00:26:49.220 --> 00:26:53.440 And I have a lot of veteran students. And I still 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:57.099 get to assist them, kind of help them through. 00:26:57.309 --> 00:26:59.670 Um, you know, not just the GI bill, but their, 00:26:59.829 --> 00:27:01.890 their VA benefits, basically everything that 00:27:01.890 --> 00:27:03.730 they might have access to as a veteran student. 00:27:04.089 --> 00:27:05.930 Um, just kind of passing along the experience 00:27:05.930 --> 00:27:10.009 that I had going through school. So, um, yeah, 00:27:10.369 --> 00:27:13.730 the benefits worked out great. No, I mean, that's, 00:27:13.730 --> 00:27:16.809 that's an important part. I mean, even, even 00:27:16.809 --> 00:27:19.309 50 years ago, when I, when I got out of this 00:27:19.309 --> 00:27:24.309 service, my benefits paid. for an undergrad and 00:27:24.309 --> 00:27:28.869 a master's degree. So that's part of the thing 00:27:28.869 --> 00:27:33.390 that I'm concerned about is if we start eliminating 00:27:33.390 --> 00:27:39.670 women from many of these MOSs and so forth, then 00:27:39.670 --> 00:27:41.769 that they're going to miss out on these opportunities 00:27:41.769 --> 00:27:45.829 that you and Kate, I know you use yours and Misty, 00:27:45.890 --> 00:27:49.660 I'm sure you used yours along the way. That's 00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:52.299 what I'm concerned about. And you also mentioned 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:59.619 the idea of these PT requirements. And I guess, 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:02.099 Misty, I'm going to ask you this. Is it the same 00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:05.660 for all of the different parts of the military, 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:10.619 or is it the one where you've got to do the 350 00:28:10.619 --> 00:28:16.059 -point thing? So in the Army, we've changed a 00:28:16.059 --> 00:28:20.440 million times. I was told that they just switched 00:28:20.440 --> 00:28:24.420 again, I think, last year or something. So I 00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:26.599 think they still haven't figured it out yet. 00:28:26.819 --> 00:28:29.460 So they're still not even sure what the accurate 00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:32.119 gauge is across the board. And I don't know if 00:28:32.119 --> 00:28:35.160 they ever will. There's so many different jobs. 00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:38.119 And so my branch of the Army, so I really can't 00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:39.859 talk to any of the other ones. But there's so 00:28:39.859 --> 00:28:43.380 many different jobs in there. And so what the 00:28:43.380 --> 00:28:46.829 right physical test is. But he was saying about, 00:28:46.829 --> 00:28:49.730 you know, what she had to do. I mean, you know, 00:28:50.029 --> 00:28:52.769 when I was deployed, one of the times, you know, 00:28:52.769 --> 00:28:55.970 I was on for 20 hours and off for four and I 00:28:55.970 --> 00:28:59.410 did that for six months. You know, at the time, 00:28:59.529 --> 00:29:02.569 it didn't bother me at all. It just is how, you 00:29:02.569 --> 00:29:04.690 know, my body was and stuff. And I was able to 00:29:04.690 --> 00:29:07.329 still think of my feet and still, you know, run 00:29:07.329 --> 00:29:11.329 two shifts. And so. That had nothing to do with 00:29:11.329 --> 00:29:13.289 whether I could, you know, and I've always been, 00:29:13.309 --> 00:29:15.779 I mean. Just because I've always been great at 00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:19.000 push -ups. I could knock out 60 in 60 seconds 00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:21.720 when I was you know in and it's just one of those 00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:24.980 things But I'm five feet tall, so I'm not a good 00:29:24.980 --> 00:29:29.519 runner. I mean I have to double time pretty much 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:32.480 just to keep up with people But I could rock, 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:35.420 you know with a 60 pound rock, you know 60 pound 00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:37.940 rock on for you know, two days straight and doesn't 00:29:37.940 --> 00:29:42.200 you know bother me at all so They've done it 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:45.339 by age and they've had it to where the youngest 00:29:45.339 --> 00:29:47.579 age group is the hardest and then for a while 00:29:47.579 --> 00:29:50.539 they went to the second oldest is the hardest 00:29:50.539 --> 00:29:53.579 because by then you've tuned your body a little 00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:56.420 bit. So when they'll get it right, I don't know 00:29:56.420 --> 00:29:58.839 what's right. I don't know that either. I mean, 00:29:59.220 --> 00:30:00.880 it's just one of those things that they keep. 00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:05.059 crime and You know like so with all the different 00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:06.859 jobs in the military and stuff. I don't think 00:30:06.859 --> 00:30:11.880 there is one PT test that across the board is 00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:17.220 fitting So I will mention that there's some administrative 00:30:17.220 --> 00:30:18.920 standards and that's a little bit what Misty 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:21.059 was speaking to right and those are going to 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:25.259 be gauged based on age gauged And on gender in 00:30:25.259 --> 00:30:27.779 some cases that everybody has to meet that's 00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:29.910 the minimum standard That doesn't have anything 00:30:29.910 --> 00:30:34.630 to do with your job. You can max out a PT test 00:30:34.630 --> 00:30:38.250 as a female and maybe not even make it through 00:30:38.250 --> 00:30:40.650 Rope, which is like the introduction to the Ranger 00:30:40.650 --> 00:30:45.430 school. There are different tests that come with 00:30:45.430 --> 00:30:49.990 the more demanding jobs. Either those tests are 00:30:49.990 --> 00:30:53.220 physical or they're mental. And I don't know, 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:55.519 the bottom line for me, and I think what is so 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:58.559 frustrating is that the recent comments I think 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:01.359 only serve to weaken the force, right? The United 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:05.619 States military is and has been the greatest 00:31:05.619 --> 00:31:07.380 fighting force that the world has ever seen. 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:09.799 And, you know, there was a time when there were 00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:13.359 questions about whether units should be racially 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:16.079 integrated and the military is better because 00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:19.380 it is. There was a time when, you know, There 00:31:19.380 --> 00:31:21.640 was a real worry about including women in uniform 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:25.279 at all and the military is better because we 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:27.839 have integrated women Every time you open the 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:30.700 aperture and include more people who can compete 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:33.779 for the best jobs You have the better opportunity 00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:35.660 of getting the best of the best and maintaining 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:37.160 the greatest fighting force the world has ever 00:31:37.160 --> 00:31:43.960 seen Well, I agree with that now it's it's I 00:31:43.960 --> 00:31:47.160 Think it was so frustrating And I'm trying not 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:49.640 to look at this one strictly from a male perspective, 00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:54.400 which is why I have you three on here to add 00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:59.140 your thoughts to this. When I was in the service, 00:31:59.819 --> 00:32:03.700 granted that was in the Revolutionary War, but 00:32:03.700 --> 00:32:10.039 it's women were not allowed. I guess that's the 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:12.759 term. They were not allowed in any of the combat 00:32:12.759 --> 00:32:20.390 fields at all. And it just seemed wrong. Kate 00:32:20.390 --> 00:32:24.390 and I have talked about helicopter flying and 00:32:24.390 --> 00:32:30.049 the deft touch, the feel that you have when you 00:32:30.049 --> 00:32:32.049 finally figure out how in the hell to hover something. 00:32:32.910 --> 00:32:36.670 And it doesn't make any difference whether you're 00:32:36.670 --> 00:32:40.289 male or female in that particular task. I think 00:32:40.289 --> 00:32:44.500 when The idea of if you're moving up in the combat 00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:48.200 arms Yeah, you have to have a different test 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:51.099 You know because everybody well not everybody 00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:53.599 most everybody can make it through basic training 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:56.779 and then if you get you know go for a special 00:32:56.779 --> 00:32:59.380 unit then and they require more strength that 00:32:59.380 --> 00:33:01.799 they require more running or require whatever 00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:05.859 it might be then that that test may change My 00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:09.569 concern is that they're they're trying to Turn 00:33:09.569 --> 00:33:14.230 the military into this big macho Organization 00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:20.609 that I Don't know it's just it's beyond me that 00:33:20.609 --> 00:33:23.069 that they're you know, they're trying to eliminate 00:33:23.069 --> 00:33:26.309 whatever their percentage of Women are that are 00:33:26.309 --> 00:33:27.829 in this service right now that have been doing 00:33:27.829 --> 00:33:29.910 a great job I mean if if they haven't been doing 00:33:29.910 --> 00:33:31.529 a great job, they wouldn't have been able to 00:33:31.529 --> 00:33:36.970 advance Dale there's about 20 % of uniformed 00:33:36.970 --> 00:33:39.019 service members that are females at this point. 00:33:39.700 --> 00:33:43.420 So it's a significant portion of the fighting 00:33:43.420 --> 00:33:47.160 force across all MOSs, across all branches. I 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:50.220 mean, that should say something. I mean, you 00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:52.720 know, we can't go back. That's the whole thing. 00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:54.619 You can't go back. You got to keep moving forward. 00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:59.420 We do have a call on the line right now. And 00:33:59.420 --> 00:34:02.380 I hope it's an educational benefits call. If 00:34:02.380 --> 00:34:04.140 it's a regular benefits call, we might have to 00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:08.199 cut it a little bit short. But we've got I'm 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:12.679 on a line. I forgot. I erased your name already. 00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:18.739 Hello. Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure I'm going to 00:34:18.739 --> 00:34:21.920 be on track. I'm very supportive of educational 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:25.639 benefits. I just was going to raise it from the 00:34:25.639 --> 00:34:29.800 Pennywise pound foolish angle. America is made 00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:33.400 stronger with educated people. And if a person 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:36.380 goes through the service, gets the training through 00:34:36.380 --> 00:34:39.480 the service, and then once they're out, they're 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:43.039 allowed to get not only civilian training, but 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:46.460 advanced training if need be. It's an investment 00:34:46.460 --> 00:34:50.000 for America. It makes America stronger when we 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:53.699 have clever people with new inventions and interaction 00:34:53.699 --> 00:34:57.010 and all sorts of things. As a matter of fact, 00:34:57.570 --> 00:34:59.789 I don't know if either of you or all of your 00:34:59.789 --> 00:35:02.610 guests, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. 00:35:03.469 --> 00:35:06.590 It opens up and it says that the empire fell 00:35:06.590 --> 00:35:10.510 because of paranoia, that they had created so 00:35:10.510 --> 00:35:13.309 many enemies that they had to be looking out 00:35:13.309 --> 00:35:16.289 in every direction at all times and they could 00:35:16.289 --> 00:35:18.809 never relax and they could never fix the sewer 00:35:18.809 --> 00:35:23.409 system or the potholes. And so just the idea 00:35:23.409 --> 00:35:26.510 of people getting a little education to make 00:35:26.510 --> 00:35:30.489 sure we don't forget that or repeat that in history. 00:35:32.110 --> 00:35:34.050 Well, I agree with you, Tom. I want to thank 00:35:34.050 --> 00:35:36.230 you very much for giving us a call. The idea 00:35:36.230 --> 00:35:39.130 of the education is really important. And for 00:35:39.130 --> 00:35:42.250 those of us who went through the military, there 00:35:42.250 --> 00:35:45.170 were always opportunities for us to expand our 00:35:45.170 --> 00:35:47.150 education even while we were on active duty. 00:35:48.549 --> 00:35:51.349 and I'd like to bring Misty on this. I know that 00:35:51.349 --> 00:35:56.530 up at the, I hate to say real life officer, you 00:35:56.530 --> 00:35:58.769 know, up in the captain and that, you know, all 00:35:58.769 --> 00:36:01.170 above that, they always had to continue going, 00:36:01.550 --> 00:36:03.190 you know, getting more education, didn't they? 00:36:04.110 --> 00:36:06.070 Yeah, they were you were expected to continue 00:36:06.070 --> 00:36:09.349 your education both Military education, you know, 00:36:09.349 --> 00:36:12.170 they're very big on sending the officers to military 00:36:12.170 --> 00:36:15.389 schools and such and then to make a certain You 00:36:15.389 --> 00:36:17.769 know promotion point you had to have you know 00:36:17.769 --> 00:36:20.110 Your best bachelor's of course to get in and 00:36:20.110 --> 00:36:24.869 then your masters to continue to progress Yeah, 00:36:24.869 --> 00:36:29.349 and and We're gonna take a really kind of a short 00:36:29.349 --> 00:36:31.150 break here and when we come back I want to talk 00:36:31.150 --> 00:36:34.599 about uh some of the reduction that that we're 00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:37.900 reading about where so many of these senior officers 00:36:37.900 --> 00:36:42.760 are retiring or being being riffed out of there 00:36:42.760 --> 00:36:46.500 so hold on we're talking today on veterans radio 00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:49.199 about women in the military and we're we're just 00:36:49.199 --> 00:36:51.119 kind of having a discussion on it we don't you 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:55.519 know we we're trying to figure out what the ultimate 00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.719 goal is of what the current administration is 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:03.619 doing so we're going to take a quick break um 00:37:03.619 --> 00:37:06.260 every week here on veterans radio we highlight 00:37:06.260 --> 00:37:09.039 a medal of honor recipient there's only been 00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:12.980 one female medal of honor recipient and so i'm 00:37:12.980 --> 00:37:17.570 going to read the citation for her says, whereas 00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:20.230 it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary 00:37:20.230 --> 00:37:23.110 E. Walker, a graduate of medicine has rendered 00:37:23.110 --> 00:37:25.809 valuable service to the government and her efforts 00:37:25.809 --> 00:37:28.369 have been earnest and untiring in a variety of 00:37:28.369 --> 00:37:31.010 ways and that she was assigned a duty and served 00:37:31.010 --> 00:37:33.860 as an assistant surgeon. in charge of female 00:37:33.860 --> 00:37:38.179 prisoners at Louisville, Kentucky, upon the recommendation 00:37:38.179 --> 00:37:41.440 of major generals, Tecumseh Sherman and Thomas, 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:44.960 and faithfully served as a contract surgeon in 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:47.099 the service of the United States. And it's devoted 00:37:47.099 --> 00:37:50.059 herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick 00:37:50.059 --> 00:37:52.320 and wounded soldiers, both in the field, in the 00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:54.940 hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, 00:37:55.179 --> 00:37:57.599 and has also endured hardships as a prisoner 00:37:57.599 --> 00:38:01.059 of war for months in a Southern prison, while 00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:03.929 acting as a surgeon. And whereas, by reason of 00:38:03.929 --> 00:38:06.329 her not being a commissioned officer in the military 00:38:06.329 --> 00:38:10.150 service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under 00:38:10.150 --> 00:38:13.289 existing laws, be conferred upon her, and whereas 00:38:13.289 --> 00:38:15.670 in the opinion of the President an honorable 00:38:15.670 --> 00:38:18.030 recognition of her services and suffering should 00:38:18.030 --> 00:38:22.050 be made, it is ordered that a testimonial thereof 00:38:22.050 --> 00:38:25.090 shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. 00:38:25.230 --> 00:38:28.789 Mary E. Walker, and that the usual Medal of Honor 00:38:28.789 --> 00:38:31.679 or notorious service will be given her. Under 00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:34.679 my hand in the city of Washington D .C. on the 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:38.980 11th day of November A .D., 1865, Andrew Johnson. 00:38:40.059 --> 00:38:42.500 We're going to play a couple of PSAs here and 00:38:42.500 --> 00:38:44.739 then we'll be right back continuing our talk 00:38:44.739 --> 00:38:48.039 about women in the military. If you have a VA 00:38:48.039 --> 00:38:50.199 claim denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals, 00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:53.239 contact Legal Help for Veterans at 1 -800 -693 00:38:53.239 --> 00:38:57.010 -4800. They're experts in handling cases before 00:38:57.010 --> 00:38:59.329 the U .S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 00:38:59.429 --> 00:39:03.610 Their number again, 1 -800 -693 -4800. Military 00:39:03.610 --> 00:39:05.909 veterans touch everyone's life. I'm guessing 00:39:05.909 --> 00:39:08.530 right now you're thinking of a veteran, a close 00:39:08.530 --> 00:39:12.429 friend, relative. Maybe it's you. Even the toughest 00:39:12.429 --> 00:39:15.010 of us sometimes need help but don't know where 00:39:15.010 --> 00:39:17.570 to turn for support. You don't need special training 00:39:17.570 --> 00:39:19.849 to help a veteran in your life. We can all help 00:39:19.849 --> 00:39:22.059 someone going through a difficult time. Learn 00:39:22.059 --> 00:39:25.619 how you can be there for veterans. Visit veteranscrisisline 00:39:25.619 --> 00:39:29.760 .net. Veteranscrisisline .net. A message from 00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:33.659 the U .S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Every 00:39:33.659 --> 00:39:37.139 warrior needs support. I did. After my time in 00:39:37.139 --> 00:39:39.280 the military, I struggled with mental health 00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:43.900 and some substance abuse. That's when James called 00:39:43.900 --> 00:39:46.360 the veteran navigator program and was matched 00:39:46.360 --> 00:39:49.159 with me. Our navigators help any veteran who 00:39:49.159 --> 00:39:51.699 served in the military, Coast Guard, or National 00:39:51.699 --> 00:39:54.239 Guard, regardless of discharge status or how 00:39:54.239 --> 00:39:56.679 long they've served. James and I talked on the 00:39:56.679 --> 00:39:59.099 phone and set up face -to -face meetings. He 00:39:59.099 --> 00:40:02.320 shared his story and struggles. And because all 00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:04.500 navigators are veterans or family members of 00:40:04.500 --> 00:40:07.800 veterans, I could relate. From the first call, 00:40:08.139 --> 00:40:11.070 James knew I was there for him anytime. We help 00:40:11.070 --> 00:40:13.409 connect him to the mental health and substance 00:40:13.409 --> 00:40:16.289 abuse care he needed. I'm proud to be a United 00:40:16.289 --> 00:40:18.809 States veteran. And I'm proud to serve veterans 00:40:18.809 --> 00:40:21.730 like James and their families with compassion 00:40:21.730 --> 00:40:25.070 and care. Get connected to a veteran navigator 00:40:25.070 --> 00:40:28.349 at michigan .gov slash walking with warriors. 00:40:28.969 --> 00:40:30.969 A message from the Michigan Department of Health 00:40:30.969 --> 00:40:37.650 and Human Services. We're back here on Veterans 00:40:37.650 --> 00:40:40.210 Radio and we're talking with our three women 00:40:40.210 --> 00:40:45.210 veteran guests today. We've got Misty Dugan Martin, 00:40:45.449 --> 00:40:47.150 she's the United States Army Lieutenant Colonel 00:40:47.150 --> 00:40:50.130 retired and then she's the founder of M3 Defense 00:40:50.130 --> 00:40:54.289 Consulting. We've got Kate Melcher, she retired 00:40:54.289 --> 00:40:58.469 as a captain from the United States Army, helicopter 00:40:58.469 --> 00:41:04.250 pilot. And we've got also we got Lydia Pinkham. 00:41:04.409 --> 00:41:07.769 It's a Coast Guard veteran and a board member 00:41:07.769 --> 00:41:10.309 for Veterans Radio American. We're just trying 00:41:10.309 --> 00:41:15.769 to figure out what is going on under a Secretary 00:41:15.769 --> 00:41:19.789 of War excess speech to all of those generals. 00:41:21.349 --> 00:41:24.869 I was uncomfortable for them. I don't know what 00:41:24.869 --> 00:41:28.150 that was all about. I'm trying to figure out 00:41:28.150 --> 00:41:35.019 why. why they are not encouraging women to continue 00:41:35.019 --> 00:41:38.360 joining the military. And as Misty, as you pointed 00:41:38.360 --> 00:41:41.440 out, without combat experience, you can't get 00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:45.900 to that next level. We have a good friend here 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:49.840 in Ann Arbor who is a colonel and she got passed 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:54.280 over for a general. She wasn't able to get her 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:57.719 star because she had no combat experience. And 00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:00.079 I think I've heard that story many, many times. 00:42:00.579 --> 00:42:04.860 And then what was going on in the news was that 00:42:04.860 --> 00:42:09.480 they were releasing many of the leaders of various 00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:14.159 branches of the service and women admirals and 00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:16.619 generals and so forth. And I'm just wondering 00:42:16.619 --> 00:42:21.219 what's going on. What is your opinion? This is 00:42:21.219 --> 00:42:22.940 what we're doing today. What is your opinion 00:42:22.940 --> 00:42:29.000 of what is going on? I think this is the first 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:34.719 time we've really seen the administration lean 00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:38.099 one way or the other. I think in the past they've 00:42:38.099 --> 00:42:42.260 always tried very hard to be apolitical once 00:42:42.260 --> 00:42:46.639 in office. I'm not saying that you couldn't tell 00:42:46.639 --> 00:42:49.739 who was you know what but they've tried very 00:42:49.739 --> 00:42:52.579 hard to be apolitical and to bring the country 00:42:52.579 --> 00:42:56.340 together and unfortunately you know my opinion 00:42:57.230 --> 00:43:02.389 That's not happening right now. I don't think 00:43:02.389 --> 00:43:06.010 there is concern about bringing everybody together. 00:43:06.130 --> 00:43:07.489 I mean, some of the words that were actually 00:43:07.489 --> 00:43:10.730 said was, if you don't agree with me, there's 00:43:10.730 --> 00:43:13.269 the door, more or less. And if you don't like 00:43:13.269 --> 00:43:17.449 it, there's the door. And I think that's not 00:43:17.449 --> 00:43:22.469 the right approach to take, no matter what. Because 00:43:22.469 --> 00:43:30.159 my concern is that If the people that want true 00:43:30.159 --> 00:43:34.280 equality and want to put the right people in 00:43:34.280 --> 00:43:36.980 the right jobs and stuff, if they continue to 00:43:36.980 --> 00:43:41.920 leave and retire and such, then who's going to 00:43:41.920 --> 00:43:45.579 take that stand? Who's going to say no when they're 00:43:45.579 --> 00:43:49.559 told to do things that are not what we swore 00:43:49.559 --> 00:43:55.480 an oath to? And that's my biggest fear is everybody 00:43:55.849 --> 00:43:58.590 That would take a stand getting out and then 00:43:58.590 --> 00:44:02.369 all you have is a bunch of yes people remaining 00:44:02.369 --> 00:44:07.389 and You know to look at people that have those 00:44:07.389 --> 00:44:10.789 people that were there had served, you know At 00:44:10.789 --> 00:44:14.070 least 20, you know years and most of them, you 00:44:14.070 --> 00:44:17.710 know more close to you know 30 years and to look 00:44:17.710 --> 00:44:20.690 at them and to tell them that you know from You 00:44:20.690 --> 00:44:23.820 know somebody that did not serve, you know in 00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:26.320 those type of, you know, for that longevity and 00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:28.340 for somebody that never served and actually avoided 00:44:28.340 --> 00:44:31.699 serving to say, you know, that they were tired 00:44:31.699 --> 00:44:35.599 of, you know, people that were fat or were out 00:44:35.599 --> 00:44:38.579 of shape or that couldn't meet standards. You 00:44:38.579 --> 00:44:45.519 know, I was mad for them. I was, you know, I 00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:47.920 was curious for them, for them to be talked to 00:44:47.920 --> 00:44:50.639 like that and for You know, for the people that 00:44:50.639 --> 00:44:52.559 have served to, you know, I mean, some of the 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:54.679 people that have just been released for no cause 00:44:54.679 --> 00:44:57.940 whatsoever that have been relieved of duty, you 00:44:57.940 --> 00:45:00.900 know, people that have served honorably and just 00:45:00.900 --> 00:45:04.239 because they don't meet the standard that these 00:45:04.239 --> 00:45:06.980 two or three people want them to meet and what 00:45:06.980 --> 00:45:12.139 they think a service member looks like. You know, 00:45:12.280 --> 00:45:15.300 that's I mean, that's my biggest, biggest fear. 00:45:16.190 --> 00:45:18.730 is great with everything that's going on is, 00:45:18.769 --> 00:45:22.969 you know, they have this idea image of what the 00:45:22.969 --> 00:45:25.489 right person looks like that should be serving. 00:45:25.489 --> 00:45:29.750 And it's, you know, that's not what our military 00:45:29.750 --> 00:45:31.750 like, you know, Kate said earlier, that's not 00:45:31.750 --> 00:45:35.489 what our military is. And nor has it been, you 00:45:35.489 --> 00:45:41.369 know, and it's better because it's not. You know, 00:45:41.710 --> 00:45:47.789 I I obviously think similarly to Misty. I would 00:45:47.789 --> 00:45:52.889 say two things. Number one, every officer in 00:45:52.889 --> 00:45:56.449 that room not only swore an oath to support and 00:45:56.449 --> 00:45:57.710 defend the Constitution of the United States, 00:45:57.769 --> 00:46:00.730 but also the laws thereof. So the Hatch Act, 00:46:00.989 --> 00:46:04.389 there are actual laws on the books that prohibit 00:46:04.389 --> 00:46:07.070 political behavior and political speech in uniform. 00:46:07.570 --> 00:46:10.730 So I'm certain there's a... a good amount of 00:46:10.730 --> 00:46:13.530 discomfort just from that. The other piece is 00:46:13.530 --> 00:46:18.409 actually something that the caller sparked, and 00:46:18.409 --> 00:46:21.690 that's at the risk of sounding ham -handed because 00:46:21.690 --> 00:46:24.989 I think that's what the whole Secretary of War 00:46:24.989 --> 00:46:29.409 speech was, ham -handed. I had a mentor officer 00:46:29.409 --> 00:46:33.949 tell me that an enlisted person's job is to do, 00:46:34.050 --> 00:46:37.400 an officer's job is to think. And every one of 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:39.519 those men and women that had multiple stars on 00:46:39.519 --> 00:46:41.699 their shoulders or on their chest, many of them 00:46:41.699 --> 00:46:44.380 came through the academies. They were selected 00:46:44.380 --> 00:46:45.960 among the best of the best in their high school 00:46:45.960 --> 00:46:48.420 so that they could go to the best colleges that 00:46:48.420 --> 00:46:53.400 we offer in the US and have spent 20, 30 plus 00:46:53.400 --> 00:46:56.960 years in uniform. And like Misty talked before, 00:46:57.099 --> 00:46:58.739 there's an expectation that you continue your 00:46:58.739 --> 00:47:01.599 education, not just formally when you go to Army 00:47:01.599 --> 00:47:03.869 War College, but You know, the Chief of Staff 00:47:03.869 --> 00:47:05.769 of the Army publishes a professional reading 00:47:05.769 --> 00:47:09.349 list every year. And the expectation is that 00:47:09.349 --> 00:47:13.010 you read what's on that list. And it's everything 00:47:13.010 --> 00:47:16.130 from, you know, Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz and, 00:47:16.329 --> 00:47:18.949 you know, the classic books on military tactics 00:47:18.949 --> 00:47:22.769 and leadership up through, you know, asymmetric 00:47:22.769 --> 00:47:25.510 warfare or essays by the Brookings Institute. 00:47:25.690 --> 00:47:29.150 You know, these are thinking men and women who 00:47:29.150 --> 00:47:33.559 understand nuance, who understand the modern 00:47:33.559 --> 00:47:42.760 theaters of war and the simple, having the secretary 00:47:42.760 --> 00:47:48.480 of war suggest that it's as simple as maxing 00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:52.880 out a PT test completely misses the point of 00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:54.800 what our professional military leaders have been 00:47:54.800 --> 00:48:00.059 spending their lives devoted to. I mean, it's 00:48:00.059 --> 00:48:06.019 hard for us. here to, as Misty pointed out, I 00:48:06.019 --> 00:48:09.099 think a lot of veterans in the veteran community 00:48:09.099 --> 00:48:13.900 were upset by that whole meeting without going 00:48:13.900 --> 00:48:16.500 into any great details about what it was. But 00:48:16.500 --> 00:48:18.159 it just seemed like they brought in every general 00:48:18.159 --> 00:48:20.280 from across the country at great expense across 00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:23.300 the world and kind of tried to belittle them. 00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:28.469 And I don't know, I was always taught you know 00:48:28.469 --> 00:48:32.869 I was always taught to respect my superior officers 00:48:32.869 --> 00:48:38.090 and right now I'm feeling a little bad about 00:48:38.090 --> 00:48:42.170 that statement because those men in that room 00:48:42.170 --> 00:48:44.469 they men and women in that room they really couldn't 00:48:44.469 --> 00:48:48.710 stand up and say what is going on here because 00:48:48.710 --> 00:48:51.489 we serve you know because of the way our our 00:48:51.489 --> 00:48:53.909 military is set up we serve at the you know at 00:48:53.909 --> 00:48:57.110 the behest of a civilian leader and you know 00:48:57.110 --> 00:48:59.820 we don't We don't normally question that, but 00:48:59.820 --> 00:49:02.679 I think we have to start thinking about what 00:49:02.679 --> 00:49:07.320 is happening here. We're running out of time 00:49:07.320 --> 00:49:11.360 already, and I'm just going to get maybe one 00:49:11.360 --> 00:49:14.679 last comment from each of you about where is 00:49:14.679 --> 00:49:18.559 this going? Lydia, I'm going to start with you, 00:49:18.659 --> 00:49:23.739 because you're the really smart one here, I know. 00:49:24.549 --> 00:49:27.190 Oh, that's I don't think the superlative was 00:49:27.190 --> 00:49:31.349 a great use in this case. Dale, I'm really glad 00:49:31.349 --> 00:49:33.110 that you mentioned the expense of it, because 00:49:33.110 --> 00:49:35.849 at the end of the day, whether or not you believe 00:49:35.849 --> 00:49:38.070 women should be serving in combat roles or any 00:49:38.070 --> 00:49:39.510 of the things that we've talked about here today, 00:49:40.050 --> 00:49:44.429 they held a meeting that costs hundreds of thousands 00:49:44.429 --> 00:49:48.130 of dollars to fly members of the military, these 00:49:48.130 --> 00:49:50.409 generals all over to come to this place and hear 00:49:50.409 --> 00:49:56.300 them talk. it's really hard to sit back and watch 00:49:56.300 --> 00:50:00.940 some of the fiscal aspects of this happening 00:50:00.940 --> 00:50:05.420 the last few months. Coming from a branch that 00:50:05.420 --> 00:50:10.760 was constantly told do more with less and kind 00:50:10.760 --> 00:50:12.639 of seeing behind the scenes sometimes how that 00:50:12.639 --> 00:50:15.760 money is spent. When I saw pictures of that meeting, 00:50:15.800 --> 00:50:17.960 my first thought was, holy crap, they flew everybody 00:50:17.960 --> 00:50:20.980 there. They had per diems. They were on orders. 00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:24.019 This must have cost so much money. And they could 00:50:24.019 --> 00:50:27.340 have watched a video. So I'm glad you mentioned 00:50:27.340 --> 00:50:32.019 the expense part. I think in general, one of 00:50:32.019 --> 00:50:33.800 the best lessons that I took with me when I left 00:50:33.800 --> 00:50:35.639 the service was that you never know who's going 00:50:35.639 --> 00:50:39.880 to bring what to the table. And if we are trying 00:50:39.880 --> 00:50:46.760 to have a less diversified military force. We're 00:50:46.760 --> 00:50:48.480 getting rid of a lot of people that could really 00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:54.619 help in any situation. And I'm obviously biased, 00:50:54.639 --> 00:50:57.199 but I think women bring a lot of great skill 00:50:57.199 --> 00:51:01.139 sets to the table. Logistics and operations. 00:51:02.780 --> 00:51:05.079 Women are actually, I work with engineers now 00:51:05.079 --> 00:51:07.119 in the aerospace engineering field and women 00:51:07.119 --> 00:51:09.739 make excellent engineers and they're constantly 00:51:09.739 --> 00:51:12.780 overlooked. So You know, I'm a big proponent 00:51:12.780 --> 00:51:15.280 of everybody brings something to the table and 00:51:15.280 --> 00:51:17.099 the military right now is trying to get rid of 00:51:17.099 --> 00:51:19.079 people that that could be changing our service 00:51:19.079 --> 00:51:23.800 for the better. And, you know, I'll kind of leave 00:51:23.800 --> 00:51:26.940 it at that. It's I think that we are kind of 00:51:26.940 --> 00:51:28.679 shooting ourselves in the foot with what the 00:51:28.679 --> 00:51:31.460 future of our military could be by not keeping 00:51:31.460 --> 00:51:35.079 the best and brightest there. So great. I think 00:51:35.079 --> 00:51:37.960 this is a subject that we have to we have to 00:51:37.960 --> 00:51:40.190 address more often. And I think it's something 00:51:40.190 --> 00:51:44.670 that we can do into the future. We've run out 00:51:44.670 --> 00:51:47.750 of time today. So I want to make sure that I 00:51:47.750 --> 00:51:53.349 thank Kate Melcher, Misty Dugan -Martin for being 00:51:53.349 --> 00:51:56.289 on the program along with Lydia to share your 00:51:56.289 --> 00:51:58.429 thoughts and opinions. I think it's so important. 00:51:58.809 --> 00:52:01.150 And we'll get back to you and do this again because. 00:52:01.440 --> 00:52:04.920 Who knows what's happening next? All right So 00:52:04.920 --> 00:52:07.099 we're going to be going out as usual on a god 00:52:07.099 --> 00:52:09.679 bless america But because it's women in the military 00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:12.679 today I chose chose mary k messenger and she 00:52:12.679 --> 00:52:15.539 is a retired army sergeant major with the united 00:52:15.539 --> 00:52:19.840 states military academy's band She spent uh, 00:52:19.900 --> 00:52:22.820 and her note was she spent 29 years one month 00:52:22.820 --> 00:52:27.699 and 21 days in the military and uh I'd love her 00:52:27.699 --> 00:52:30.019 version of god bless america and we're still 00:52:30.019 --> 00:52:33.230 sold Lucky and grateful that we have this country. 00:52:33.469 --> 00:52:36.110 Let's make sure we keep it So until next week, 00:52:36.130 --> 00:52:37.829 this is Dale Thromberg for all of us here at 00:52:37.829 --> 00:53:01.289 veterans radio. You are dismissed with light 00:53:01.289 --> 00:53:08.329 from above, from the mountains to the...