Honoring women of our past

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Alicia Wallace
  • 45th Space Wing Public Affairs
Members of the 45th Space Wing and its tenet units kicked off Women's History Month with an obstacle course at Warfit Field,  Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., March 2, 2015.

The theme for this year's Women's History Month is "Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives."

Prior to the obstacle course, Col. Julie Stola, 45th Space Wing Medical Group commander, provided opening remarks.

"To know where you're going; it is important to know where you came from, and over the years, there have been significant contributions made by extraordinary individuals, to further the progress of women," she said.

The course consisted of seven obstacles and included an optional event where members had the opportunity to change a tire.

Fifteen teams participated in the event, and each team consisted of two members. The winning was "Team Dragon," which was comprised of 2nd Lt. Charles Hohnbaum and 2nd Lt. Joshua Kreimier, both of the 5th Launch Support Squadron.

The purpose of the event was to pay homage to the women in history whose achievements helped paved the way for women's rights and privileges we have today.

Master Sgt. Stacy Lindsey, 45th Space Wing first sergeant, arranged the event and said, taking the lead on the National Women's History Month kick-off event was mostly for personal reasons.

"I love serving in the Air Force," she said. "I knew taking a moment to pay tribute to the women who, over decades, fought for this honor was the right thing to do."

Although it was a cold and foggy morning, many were present for the event.

"It certainly reflects what an impact this month means to so many," she said.

Lindsey said she appreciated the volunteers who helped make Women's History Month kick-off possible.

Tech. Sgt. Keith Snyder, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, and a volunteer who set up the tire changing event, said he  was more than willing to offer his assistance with the event. 

"This is a common task for Dirt Boyz, and I often forget that not everyone knows how to do it," he said.  "So, I thought it was a beneficial contribution."

Team Patrick-Cape is invited to attend the following scheduled events for Women's History Month during March:

March 13: 'Spoken Word' at the South Chapel Annex at 11 a.m.
March 24: Stories of Women Panel at the Education and Training Auditorium 2 p.m.
March 27: Golf Tournament at Patrick Air Force Base Golf Course at 2:30 p.m.
March 30: Breakfast with Guest Speaker at Tides Ocean Front Lounge at 8:30 a.m.