Post by Athena Ives, PhD

Back in 2008, I served as a Lioness in Iraq. At the time, I had no idea I was becoming part of something that would help drive real change in how we understand women’s roles in combat. By 2013, I was writing my Master’s thesis on the need for qualified women in combat. I watched as Lioness evolved into FETs and CSTs, and at the time, there were very few books about women in combat roles. Now, there are many inspiring and well-researched books that highlight the stories, struggles, and impact of these women. Today, I’m sitting in a Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) course. While I’ve previously developed sociocultural reports, this course allowed me to focus specifically on WPS analysis in the context of the Department of Defense’s mission to support shelter development in Ghana. For our Capstone, I’ll be pitching an action plan to leadership that integrates key WPS principles into annual training across the force. It has been incredible to be part of this course, surrounded by leaders who are committed to advancing gender perspectives in national security. I’m especially grateful to the trailblazing female warriors who came before us and made it possible for this work to continue. WPS is gaining traction across the defense community, and there is more support behind it than many people realize. We are not going anywhere! This photo is of where my BF/Interpreter and I lived during most of our Lioness ops. I remember laughing and saying it looked like we got the cleaning closet, but I only have fond memories of that room. The quick conversations after an op before we passed out. The stories we shared about our lives. And most importantly, it was one of the first times in my life I truly felt part of something bigger than myself—and I got to live that feeling on every mission we went on. #WPS #WomenInCombat #LeadershipDevelopment #MilitaryTraining #FET #Lioness #CST #SocioculturalAnalysis #DefenseInnovation #PolicyChange #VeteranVoices #Gratitude #Trailblazers #WomenWarriors