All the girls from my flight at Field Training showing a bit of girl power.

I was on a planning committee with three other boys for an Air Force ROTC picnic, and we were moving folding tables to the grassy site of the picnic. The other boys each grabbed two tables and put one under their arms. I followed suit, and managed to get a table under each arm when one of the guys asked me, "Do you want me to help with that?" I refused his kind offer and readjusted one of the tables. Deep inside, I felt that if I accepted his help, I would be projecting the notion that I was weak. I did not want to give that impression even if it would not have been interpreted that way. I wanted to avoid giving anyone a reason to say women did not belong in the military, even though if it was over something as frivolous as moving folding tables.

Something less frivolous would be running. At Field Training, we ran three miles as a group of 600 cadets. We ran in step with everyone around us, which meant we were running at the pace of the first person at the head of the group. We were not running incredibly fast, but no one was allowed to run faster and people should not have run slower. The pace was slower than what was needed to pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT), a test that everyone passed at least twice already. However, there were still some cadets who were unable to keep that pace and dropped out to the side to run at a slower pace as the rest of the group ran past them. To my dismay, the bulk of these people were girls. A female officer was also disappointed about this and later addressed all the female cadets about this. She pointed out that every one of us were capable of running at that pace because we had all passed the PFT. Furthermore, it gave the boys the impression that girls were unsuitable for physical training and the military. 

The debate over women in the military has existed ever since people started considering allowing them to serve. The arguments for and against women in the military vary and I could not possibly name them all. But many people have approached me with curiosity about how women are treated in the military. I can only speak from my limited experience, but having been in Air Force ROTC has allowed me to see first hand the pros and cons of their arguments. Although it is not something constantly on my mind, something will come up every once in a while to remind me that I am a female in a male-dominated environment. Yet, the Air Force is the most progressive branch of the military as far as women are concerned. Most of its career fields are open to women. Furthermore, men in my generation have been brought up with a different attitude towards women. As these men populate the military, the gender issues that arose twenty years ago are more likely to disappear.

Reflecting upon my experiences, I can say that I have always been treated as an equal. I do not overly emphasize female characteristics but at the same time I do not attempt to be a man. Standards for the Air Force have been set so that men and women act as professionals at all time. This policy is enforced to prevent any chances of sexual harassment. Despite this, women still sometimes face challenges to overcome. I think the most important thing a woman can do in a male-dominated environment is to prove her abilities as a competent worker and professional. 

I feel that women in the Air Force have a built in support network. With more and more women entering the service, there are fewer instances of a woman being the one and only female in a unit. When I attended Field Training, there were at least 100 other women there with me. I became close friends with all the girls in my group as well as the girls whose bunks were near mine. The night before Field Training began everyone was scared and nervous about what lay in store for us. There was the sound of a girl crying, and then later, the soothing voice of another girl sympathizing. She certainly didn't know the girl she was comforting, but she didn't hesitate to help her. I find it hard to believe that similar support would have been found in the male barracks. 

On the other hand, the men knew how to have fun in a serious situation. I heard stories of boys playing pranks on each other at night. For example, someone switched all the other guys' shoes at night while they were all sleeping. This was carefully executed because there were officers who came in to check on everyone, so it would have been a bad situation if he were caught out of bed. Sometimes the boys would dare someone to run around screaming. Unfortunately, this was a failed attempt because he did get caught out of bed. Women could have had their fun with harmless pranks but we never chose to. Instead, we went to bed at night, sometimes discussing high points from the day. Never did we feel unwelcome because we were girls.

I have several female friends who are pilots for the Air Force. The entire nation knows about Pfc. Jessica Lynch's POW ordeal. My detachment commander is female. They make me proud to be a female service member. So I'm a girl. This has been a fact since the day I was born, but it is irrelevant to my job performance. That's the most important thing and once everyone realizes it, I think women will no longer be a minority in the military.