By Annie Nelson, Founder, American Soldier Network
In 1917, Loretta Perfectus Walsh became the first woman to enlist in the military when she joined the Navy. As of 2022, women constituted an average of 17.5% of all active-duty military personnel, totaling nearly 229,000 members. For context, women were first granted the ability to serve as permanent members of the armed services under the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed into law on June 12, 1948. One of these esteemed women is U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Danielle Hopkins. Hopkins is an Intelligence Analyst with the 118th Operational Support Squadron, 118th Wing at Berry Field Air National Guard Base in Nashville, Tennessee.
Inspired by her father, who served in the Navy, Hopkins was set to enlist in the military. She wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps; however, her mother wanted her to go to college. Her mother’s concern outweighed Hopkins’ calling to serve at that time and caused her to delay her enlistment.
Off to boot camp
The events of 9/11 ignited Hopkins’ passion for service and led her to the Army recruiter’s office. She wanted to be an Army journalist; however, the Army offered her a heavy equipment operator position, which she declined. It was not until 2004, at the age of 29, that she finally realized her calling. She joined the Navy Reserves and headed off to boot camp!
Very early in her military career, Hopkins learned that she had to study hard and know how to do her job better than everyone else. The biggest challenge for her as a woman in the military was that she had to learn to be assertive. She had to learn to use her voice.
“Honestly, I was too nice. I’m from the South and was raised to respect everyone, and sometimes that challenged me. It sounds weird, but people used my instant friendliness against me. I had to learn my job and be the best at it. I had to learn how to assert myself as a nice person, but also as someone who would hold others accountable and do the mission to the best of our collective abilities,” Hopkins said.
Closer to home
After her years in the Navy Reserves, which required world travel away from her family, Hopkins found that the Tennessee Air National Guard had missions closer to home. She would not have to travel around the globe to continue to serve her country. The Guard has federal and state missions, and she was excited to learn about those opportunities to serve her community and nation stateside. Hopkins left the Navy and joined the Air National Guard.
Challenges for women
There have always been challenges for women in the military. When discussing those challenges, Hopkins shared, “With the rising cost of child care and the rising cost of homes and services, I see that women’s opportunities are challenging, even in serving our nation. While the insurance is very helpful, child care is extremely expensive, and families need to keep all the income they can. Not everyone has the opportunity to serve full-time or even part-time due to the need for a solid two-person income to raise a family. I think the Guard and active duty need to find a way to provide more child care and incentives to working mothers to also keep the best women in our ranks.
“I will say I never once have been told I can’t succeed because I’m a woman. I feel blessed that between serving in two services and three different careers, I’ve never felt like the opportunities weren’t available for me. I was older and didn’t have child care to think about. While that makes a difference in some of my choices, I know the opportunities were there if I could afford to work for them.”
Rewards of service
My discussion continued with Hopkins, and I asked her what has been most rewarding for her during her 20-year military career. She shared, “To see and experience things with my own eyes. I’ve worked and been involved in service that, hopefully, my family would be proud of. We all have a price to pay for our freedoms, and I’m proud to have had the opportunity to pay for that price while wearing the nation’s cloth. It has also been rewarding to serve with my brothers and sisters. The bond you have with the other service members is amazing and one you can’t replicate in the corporate world. To serve for the Constitution and what our forefathers fought so hard to preserve is an absolute honor.
“If I could encourage young women today to enlist, I would absolutely do so. The military isn’t a dictatorship, although there are parts of your individual self that you lose to serve as a group that is working together to protect our homeland. I’ve been so fulfilled in life; I’ve learned what honor and sacrifice is.
“I’ve worked alongside true American heroes who would do anything to preserve freedom and honor for our nation. That is priceless. That is a feeling that may be hard to achieve in the civilian world. I get to train our young service members now with the knowledge that I’ve been able to acquire and help them be the leaders of tomorrow. That is the greatest gift that has been given back to me—the honor to lead others and take care of them. Beside my brothers and my sisters, I’ll proudly take a stand.”
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