Women of yesterday, today and tomorrow

Remember the childhood game, "Follow the Leader"? The idea was to mimic the antics of the person in front of you in the line of boys and girls winding through the neighborhood. Being a follower was all right, but being a leader was the most fun, creating imaginative routes and tasks for everyone else to copy. In real life, great leaders are rare; and being a leader is a challenge.

Often, men and women are elected or appointed to leadership positions, but then falter or fail to act. Others abuse their power to satisfy their egos, crushing their subordinates and squandering resources. But, without faithful, ethical and effective leaders, people wander.

American women have contributed to American life since the time of the American Revolution, and their organizations continue to function as an important vehicle for exerting influence in the public arena. Throughout most of U.S. history, popular belief held that "women's place was in the home," that their talents should be applied solely within the domestic setting.

Until modern times, women were unwelcome in most groups founded by men for civic action, self-improvement or social interaction. Yet, throughout history, women routinely defied the proscriptions against their public role and met with one another to create a collective voice for change.

Unfortunately, it was the advent of wars and the crying need for "manpower" that broke barriers and allowed women to take up roles that men had vacated as they went off to war. This was evident in more modern times of World War I and World War II, when men were called to war, more and more women took "non traditional" roles in the factories, supporting the war effort. More and more women are proving to be the hardest-working, with outstanding work ethics and leadership skills. And, more women are stepping up to a challenging traditional man's role - joining the military.

Being in a military and being a woman is no easy task. You are expected to lead, support, work infinite hours and, on top of it all, face the still existent prejudice and preconceived notion that women are weaker and are a hindrance at the war zone.

With hard work and exuberant effort, women are changing that image - slowly, but surely. Women in a military work harder than anyone I know, not just to maintain a positive image for other women in the service, but because they care, because they want to make a difference.

Being a military wife means being the man when the man can't be. It means being a Daddy, a Mommy and a friend. It means helping your children understand that the man who comes and goes so often is not just a friend or a lover, but a father and a husband.

The sacrifices of a military family are endless, and only understood by those who are in the same position. The worries are uninterrupted. The changes are the only constant thing you have in your life ... except for the love. The love proves it's strength time and time again. Woman's love allows that fleeting glimpse of happiness, that light in all of the darkness, the never-ending care and support that everyone around her can count on.

We have a very pertinent example of a mother, officer, wife and a true leader in our own Capt. Athena Lock, who just got promoted to major a few days ago. She has done some incredible work in the short time she has been at Dewitt. Arriving to a new duty station while 5 months pregnant, with a 3-year old child and a husband to take care of, she wasted no time. Her original assignment was to work with the lab manager and become lab assistant manager. However, there was a need for a company commander leading and taking care of the whole medical company of Fort Belvoir. Maj. Lock did not hesitate for a moment and stepped right in. "She did not miss a beat" - brags Col. Daniel Gall, DeWitt Army Community Hospital chief of staff. She put every effort into the company and, in a matter of days, made it look as if she has been there for years. After the designated company commander assumed duty, Maj. Lock transitioned into the laboratory where she has excelled as a lab assistant manager and will be taking over the lab manager position, as the current manager PCSs to another realm of duty.

Maj. Lock is a remarkable example to all women who juggle demanding careers, family and school. There is no need to elaborate that being a leader is time-consuming in itself, being in the military is equivalent of having a second job, with all additional military training and duties that one must attend in addition to the job they were assigned. Maj. Lock's husband recently deployed to Afghanistan and she is also taking care of 4 and 1½-year-old children - that is another full-time and daunting job in itself. And, did I mention she is also working on a master's degree?

As a former dual-marriage Soldier, I can well understand some of the challenges that Maj. Lock is going through, including the aches and pain of being separated from her spouse. This can only be made even more agonizing when there are two little children involved and endless worries about a loved one being in a war zone. I can relate to her sleepless nights, since my husband was in Afghanistan in the winter and spring of 2008/2009 and just that fact alone is a challenge to deal with; we all pray for the safe return of her husband and all Soldiers overseas.

Maj. Lock reflects the story in the Bible, of the only woman who was placed at the height of political power by the common consent of the people - Deborah. She never denied or resisted her position in the culture as a woman and wife, but she never allowed herself to be hindered by it either. Deborah's life challenges us in several ways. She reminds us of the need to be available to God and to others.

She encourages us to spend our efforts on what we can do rather than on worrying about what can't do. Deborah challenges us to be wise leaders.

To me, Maj. Lock is the Deborah of the 21st century!