MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The effort began in 1848 when the world’s first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
The effort continued in 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed, which allowed women the right to vote.
In 1948, a full century after the first convention, the U.S. enacted the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which enabled women to serve as uniform, customary members of the military.
Finally, in 1971, the U.S. Congress approved a joint resolution to designate Aug. 26 as Women’s Equality Day to call attention to the continuing efforts toward full equality of women in organizations, activities and workplaces.
Women Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron Marines and sailors took on the task of continuing the effort to encourage and promote women’s equality within H&HS here Aug. 26.
Selected junior Marines and sailors were designated to fill top billets within the H&HS chain of command, communicate, discuss issues, solve problems and carry out the plan of the day just as would be done on a normal dayto- day basis by the more senior Marines who currently hold those billets.
1st Lt. Katherine Kleess, financial management officer, ran the show as the H&HS commanding officer, a billet which holds significant responsibilities and ultimate authority of the unit.
“It’s a flood of work,” said Kleess. “It was difficult in learning how to communicate information to everyone on base.”
Senior Chief Petty Officer Seon Wickham, logistics leading chief petty officer, took on the role of the executive officer of H&HS, tasked with the responsibility of coordinating procedures in concert with the command. The women Marines and sailors soon realized there was more to running a command than they might have thought.
“It was enlightening to fill those shoes,” said Staff Sgt. Cavel Wallen, military justice chief designated to fill the role of the H&HS sergeant major. “It allowed the female Marines to see the bigger picture and what a command has to deal with on a daily basis.”
Sgt. Tiffany Hernandez, noncommissioned officer in charge at the northside post office, fulfilled the role as the H&HS squadron gunnery sergeant.
“Being squadron gunnery sergeant for a day helped me better understand what goes on in a day-to-day basis with the command seats in H&HS,” said Hernandez.
Each Marine assigned to a billet was given proper guidance, advice and a rundown on procedures for Women’s Equality Day.
The Marines received an abundance of assistance and support from their male counterparts who made themselves available so the female Marines could need to carry out the celebration and training.
“To have this type of training is outstanding,” said Gunnery Sgt. James Berry. “I had a wonderful day.”
Equal Opportunity Day concluded in a brief held for the women service members of H&HS. The purpose of the brief was to share a bit of the history of women’s equal rights, historical figures and insight on how women can have a successful career in the military.
In closing, Gunnery Sgt. Maria Reed, equal opportunity advisor, asked the female Marines to keep a few questions in mind.
“What are you passionate about?” said Reed. “What do you believe in? What are you going to do about it, and most importantly, how are you going to do that?”
The Marines and sailors have taken steps to enhance equal opportunity programs for women, such as outreach programs, mentoring and activities to encourage women service members to build camaraderie.