by Guest Blogger Zamawang Almemar, Air Force Contractor.

Zamawang Almemar stands next to a Bradley, what used to be her biggest fear, at Fort Carson, Colorado.

He kissed me on my forehead and said, “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again, but I have to go and fight for our freedom.” It was at that moment when I realized the true meaning of the word ‘freedom’, the reason for all the bloodshed, and why I may never see my brother again.

 The year was 1991, when the Kurdish uprising was taking place. It was the year when every Kurd from Kurdistan, northern Iraq, was fighting for his freedom against a regime that did not think twice about slaughtering its own people. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime, enlisting in the military was not a voluntary act, it was mandatory, and those who refused were hanged. During his rule, hundreds of thousands of Kurdish people were murdered, tortured, and chemically bombed. Being tired of his regime, the Kurds took to the mountains–the only friends they knew had their backs–to stand up and fight for their independence.Prior to the Kurdish uprising, and while our cities were being bombed by Saddam, my family and I sought refuge for days under a tree on the side of the road leading to the eastern border, along with thousands of other Kurds who were fleeing their homes. As I lay there on the ground, cold and barely holding on to life, with the only thing separating me from the soaked grass being a wet tarp, there was only one thing that kept me alive, Hope. Hope that someday Saddam would be gone and we would be free. Hope that my brother would come back and for us to live like a ‘normal’ family with no fear.

It was the year 1996 and the regime had announced a leave-or-die decree for those Kurds working with their American counter-parts. Upon his return from fighting a war, my brother started working with an American humanitarian organization that later helped us escape the tyranny of the regime. Arriving in Guam in 1997, there was only one place to relocate the many Kurds facing the atrocities of the regime, and that was Andersen Air Force Base, home of the 36^th Wing. That was my first up-close and personal introduction to the American uniform. With the Soldiers smiling back at me, while the only English phrase I knew to communicate back to them was ‘Thank You!’ I knew that someday I would have much more interactions with the uniform.

It was then when I began to understand what it is that makes the United States of America one of the most powerful nations in the world. It is not the millions of people that mutually coexist despite their cultural differences; it is the strength of the American military, and the resilience of the American Soldier. Enlisting voluntarily in the military, the American Soldier stands ready to sacrifice his life in the name of freedom. And for someone who knows the meaning of that term all too well, knows that is no small price to pay.  

The strength of the American military especially became evident to me while I was volunteering at Fort Carson – Colorado Springs, Colorado for a few years, the place where we first touched down onto American soil after leaving Guam and received warm welcome from the Soldiers. Today, walking around the corridors of the Pentagon, one of the most powerful institutions, in my opinion, I get overwhelmed with the strength of the American military. There is an unbreakable bond between all the branches of the military, which extends to building relationships with war-torn countries such as Iraq.

Having mastered the English language, there is still only one phrase that comes to mind that captures my sense of gratitude towards the military for saving my country and for saving its people from the most violent criminal, and that is ‘Thank You!’

As we celebrate Independence Day with friends and family, let us not forget the Soldiers in and out of uniform, serving at home or overseas. Let us also celebrate the lives of those Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, while protecting their country and feeing another. No matter what corner of the Globe we come from, we are all fighting for the same cause, Freedom. And if each of us takes on a responsibility and plays the role of a counter-terrorist, I’m certain that in time we can win this war against terrorism and allow more countries to get a taste of freedom.

By Elliott Fabrizio

Call it the glass camo-netting, or maybe the glass overhead for the Navy—Whichever you go with, women in the military are shattering it and all gender-related restrictions are crumbling away in today’s armed services.

Women have served alongside men in the military since the revolutionary war, but at first they were limited to non-combat, un-uniformed support roles. But women just couldn’t be kept out of the fight.

In 1779, Margaret Corbin manned a cannon during the Revolutionary War in place of her fallen husband until she, too, was wounded. For her valor, Congress bent the rules and granted her a military pension in 1779 (141 years before she could vote). The courage women displayed in combat defied the stereotypes of the times.

Through heroic acts like this, military women marched their way to gender equality one battlefield at a time.    

Now, if you pay attention, you’ll notice military women are wrapping up the final loose ends. March is Women’s History Month and, in honor, The Pentagon Channel blog presents the top 4 modern-day, historic landmarks for military women.

1.      Pentagon rescinds ban on women in combat units

“We’re already in combat,” says Catherine Ross of Fort Carson. In her editorial on army.mil, Ross explains that policy does not prevent women from being in combat when they are forward-deployed despite whether their unit is combat or not.

The Pentagon was not blind to this fact.  Former defense secretary Robert Gates began the process of examining this disparity.

In a Q&A session with troops Gates said “I had some women complain to me in Afghanistan…that because they’re not in a combat [military occupational specialty], they haven’t had combat training, but they’re on combat patrol.”

Former defense secretary Leon Panetta made it official on Jan. 24, 2013. He announced the elimination of the direct ground combat exclusion rule for female service members.

“I fundamentally believe that our military is more effective when success is based solely on ability, qualifications and on performance,” Panetta added.

2.      DoD designs body armor specifically for female Soldiers

Now that women are officially in combat, it’s time to get them some body armor that fits.

Classed among TIME magazine’s best inventions of for the year 2012, female body armor is strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.  Sorry… that’s a deodorant slogan.  How about this?  Strong enough to save your life in combat, but made to fit securely and comfortably. 

Lynne Hennessey, as cited in army.mil, says she has received nothing but positive feedback from women testing the new body armor.

“We actually took a picture of one Soldier hugging her vest, like she was immediately in love with it,” Hennessey added.

3.      Women Sailors excel aboard subs

On December 5, 2012, three female officers became the first women to receive Dolphins—the nickname for the submarine warfare insignia.

The ban on women in submarines was lifted in 2010. And you can imagine the first women to go through the program were being watched carefully by all levels of brass and civilian media.

The professionalism and commitment that these female submariners demonstrate by earning their qualifications prove they’ve always had the ability to serve in these roles. It’s the policies that are catching up with them.

“Qualifying is a huge accomplishment for any submariner, and it feels no different for me, said Noonan.  

4.      First female four-star Army general retires

After 38 years in uniform, Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody retired on August 15, 2012.

Her retirement represents the realization of a significant milestone for women in the military, and is proof positive of the equal opportunity now available in today’s military.

Gen. Ray Odierno, Army Chief of Staff, said the following during her retirement, regarding her professional achievement and rank: “It wasn’t because you were a woman. It was because you were brilliant.”

For women in the military, barriers, restriction and limitations are falling away quickly and it’s the perfect time to etch your name in military history.

It’s only a matter time before we find out who will be the first female Submarine Captain, the first female in our current conflicts to be awarded the Medal of Honor, or the first female secretary of defense.