Women's History Month, "Robins AFB Women Warriors" Published March 20, 2014 Robins Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Name - Felicia Clark-Reid Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York Air Force Experience: 12 yrs. Air Force, 8 yrs. Civil Service Unit of Assignment: WR-ALC OBHA Training Office Victim Advocate for Robins AFB SARC Office SAPR/iT Facilitator What is your job at Robins and how does it contribute to the mission? As a training specialist, my job is to ensure that training is sustained and delivered on-time to those working directly within the maintenance realm. If training is not sustained and/or delayed, wingmen may become decertified and/or ineligible to complete active maintenance. If this occurs, aircraft delivery time is affected and maintenance personnel have a potential to be hurt or damage equipment. What are some of the challenges you have faced being a woman in your career field? First being a female crew chief in the USAF, and then an Aircraft Mechanic as a civilian. I found that it was a challenge gaining "significance" in a male dominated field. In both arenas I found that women were given the easier jobs or posing as an assistant to their male teammates. In order to break this cycle I tackled the dirty and challenging tasks, eventually becoming one of the first women to become Flight Control Maintenance and Test Certified on the C-17 Globe Master Aircraft within the 562nd AMXS. Having past experience as a mechanic has now helped me assist in the development and revision of required training aimed towards the wingman we rely on to complete Isochronal, PDM and other routine aircraft inspections. When is a time that you had to show 'Courage, Character, Commitment' for the mission? Being committed to the mission not only means completing the workload, but to also take care of your teammates. We spend a great amount of time with one another daily to the point where we become family. I became a Victim Advocate and Bystander Intervention Training (BIT)/Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Facilitator in 2012, which enhanced my ability to help my work family. Conducting BIT/SAPR sessions is a courageous and committed task in that I along with peers bring together both airmen and their leadership in order to first acknowledge the issue of Sexual Assault and then act upon it. These sessions touch upon concepts which a majority of individuals may consider sensitive. Though we fully understand this sensitivity, we have to gain understanding of severe situations in order to change them. Providing guidance on becoming a positive bystander in any situation and swaying the "blind" mindset when it comes to Sexual Assault forced me to remain in strong character where I can accept that everyone doesn't have the same perception. It has also helped me practice self-possession in the face of peer pressure. Who is a woman that has inspired you and why? My mother has always been such an inspiration to me. Though some women may look beyond the threshold of their homes to seek a hero, she was and has been my continued force of strive for the past 32 years. A motto that resonates from my mother's loving spirit is: "Never just FILL a slot, fulFILL a mission." I take these 8 words with me in everything I accomplish in life whether helping others or working towards change. She has clearly shown that sacrifice, commitment and prayer can take you beyond your wildest dreams. In fact, she continues to wildly dream as she works to complete her Master's program in Social Work. If you could give any advice to future women warriors, what would it be? Advice I would give to future women warriors young and old would be: Stay true to yourself and know that the tools needed for tomorrow are planted within the lessons of today. When we give as well as we received, we contribute a balance to our team. Be not afraid of change, but accept it as a "defined cycle" made up of four key stages: Bystander, Action, Implementation and Ending.