海角大神

US military鈥檚 top-brass women got together. Here鈥檚 what they said.

Shortly after Lisa Franchetti joined the Navy in 1985, she stepped aboard her first ship and learned where she stood in the eyes of her boss, the ship鈥檚 chief engineer.

He said, 鈥溾�業 don鈥檛 think you should be here, and I think I鈥檓 going to make sure you fail,鈥欌�� the now-admiral recalled this month. 鈥淔or me, it was pretty eye-opening that someone would say that.鈥�

At the time, there were only 17 ship billets open to women in the Navy, and she鈥檇 worked hard to get one of them.

When her colleagues heard about the run-in, however, they rallied around her 鈥渢o make sure that didn鈥檛 happen,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e basically made it look like he was the failure for not wanting [women] to be there.鈥澛�

Since last September, Admiral Franchetti has been the vice chief of naval operations, the nation鈥檚 second-highest ranking naval officer and the second woman to serve in that position. (Adm. Michelle Howard was the first Black woman 鈥� and the first woman ever 鈥� to serve as the vice chief, as well as the first woman ever to achieve a four-star rank in the Navy.)聽

Admiral Franchetti聽 with the U.S. military鈥檚 most senior women, including three other four-star generals and admirals. It was the first time those four had ever shared a stage (a welcome dinner the night before was the first time they鈥檇 been in the same room together).聽聽

In the history of the American military, hundreds of men have attained the rank of four-star general or admiral, but only 10 women have done the same.聽

Half of them 鈥� including some pioneering four-star female colleagues who have since retired聽鈥撀爂athered at the Military Women鈥檚 Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, this March during Women鈥檚 History Month to reflect on their careers and swap stories and advice they鈥檇 gleaned in their decades of service, with an auditorium full of young troops and older mentors.

During that time, there have been immense 鈥渃hanges in law, in policy, in culture that enabled all of us to be here today聽鈥撀營 think it鈥檚 the honor of a lifetime to be a witness to this,鈥� Admiral Franchetti said.聽

鈥淎nd I think all of us have been part of the history聽鈥撀燼nd had the opportunity to pay it forward a little bit.鈥澛�

鈥淵ou shouldn鈥檛 be here鈥�

Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, too, recalled the early resistance she encountered upon her arrival at F-15 pilot school, soon after Pentagon regulations changed to allow women to fly fighter jets.聽

鈥淥ne of the senior instructors pretty much said, 鈥榊ou shouldn鈥檛 be here,鈥欌�� she recalled. 鈥淥f course, that was not my plan, and I was a little shocked.鈥澛�

It took her 鈥渁bout a day鈥� to recover, and after that, 鈥淚 tell you what, I really leaned on my peers.鈥� Her fellow male classmates 鈥渆ncouraged me. They said, 鈥榊ou have every right to be here. You鈥檙e a great pilot. You can wax people, and we鈥檙e going to help you.鈥欌��

And they did. Up to that point, General Van Ovost had flown heavy planes and had yet to learn basic fighter jet maneuvers, she said. Her classmates worked with her to ensure that 鈥渢he next time I flew with or against this person鈥澛犫�撀爐he senior instructor聽鈥撀犫�淚 was ready to wax him.鈥澛�

As they鈥檝e steadily risen through the ranks, the women say they rarely experienced the naked disdain they encountered early in their careers聽鈥撀爐hough there have been present-day moments that have given them pause.聽

Adm. Linda Fagan, who became the commandant of the Coast Guard last year, recalled experiencing a scene recognized by women across professions when sitting in a meeting full of men recently.聽

鈥淭his has happened聽鈥撀爊ot in the last 18 months, but in the last two years聽鈥撀爄n a room full of very senior people, mostly white male senior people: They鈥檙e going around the table asking for perspective on a topic, and it鈥檒l come to me, and I鈥檒l say something. And there鈥檚 just sort of a nod, and they go around, and then two people later, the same thing gets said and they go, 鈥極h, that鈥檚 a great idea!鈥� And it鈥檚 like, 鈥業 just said that!鈥欌��

Now that she鈥檚 the Coast Guard鈥檚 top-ranking officer and the first woman ever to command a U.S. military service, 鈥淎ll of a sudden I鈥檝e become very smart, very funny,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃ow, how did that happen?鈥欌��

Army Gen. Laura Richardson, who currently heads up U.S. Southern Command, said she鈥檚 learned through the years that it鈥檚 helpful to do some 鈥渟haping鈥� and 鈥渋nfluencing鈥� behind the scenes before presenting any big idea in any big meeting.聽

鈥淵ou have those alliances, so when you do bring it up, you can count on those reinforcements who have already processed it and agreed with you that it鈥檚 a good idea,鈥� she told the audience. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 good about us聽鈥撀爓e know how to do that.鈥澛�

A long way to go

In each of their three-plus decades of service, they have seen significant change for the better. But they acknowledge the military still has 鈥渁 long way to go鈥� in areas like preventing sexual harassment and assault. Some 8.4% of military women were sexually assaulted on the job during their service, according to a 2022 Pentagon report.

鈥淎ll of the services have been on a journey around sexual harassment, sexual assault, bullying,鈥� Admiral Fagan said, adding that she believes the trajectory, compared with a decade ago, is positive. 鈥淚 would not have encouraged my daughter鈥澛犫�撀爊ow a Coast Guard lieutenant聽鈥� 鈥渢o come in if I didn鈥檛 believe we could get this done.鈥澛�

At heart, the obstacles that women in the military continue to face go 鈥渂ack to women being accepted, versus being included,鈥� General Van Ovost said.聽

鈥淚f we were fully included, we would have armor that is built for a woman鈥檚 body based on how we carry the weight of equipment. We鈥檇 have flight suits that would fit us.鈥澛�

Admiral Franchetti for her part considered getting out of the Navy early in her career while on shore duty. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業 don鈥檛 really like this.鈥欌�� She was living in southern Oregon, taking classes in massage therapy. 鈥淚 was definitely on my way out of the Navy,鈥� she said.

Her father counseled her to think about her choice. 鈥淪o I got a 鈥榃hat Color Is Your Parachute?鈥� book, and I forced myself to sit down at lunch every day and do the workbook,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat it came down to was the Navy had everything I wanted.鈥�

As they have reached the highest ranks of their services, they are endeavoring, they stressed, to make the U.S. military better for those who follow in their footsteps.聽

It鈥檚 鈥渋ncumbent upon us as leaders鈥� to encourage tough conversations and foster diversity in the ranks, said General Van Ovost,聽who now leads U.S. Transportation Command. If everyone 鈥渨alks and talks and looks like you聽鈥撀燼nd is an academy grad sitting at that table聽鈥撀爕ou鈥檙e not getting the best advice.鈥澛�

And once folks are at the table, they have to make sure they speak, too, she added.

鈥淯se your voice. Don鈥檛 presume that the others sitting at the table have your perspective,鈥� Admiral Fagan said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not there by accident. It鈥檚 not random. It鈥檚 not luck. You鈥檝e earned your way into the room.鈥�