When one thinks of a high-ranking military official, a combat soldier, or a state or unit commander in any branch of the military, his or her mind may not automatically imagine a woman in the role. But three members of the Washington National Guard and Reserve are leading the way in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Guard's mission - and they happen to be female.

Chief Master Sgt. Trisha Almond, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Teresa Burgess and Command Sgt. Maj. Abby West are proving to members of the Guard and the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community that marching boots come in all sizes and shapes. Servicemembers don't make excuses for not getting the job done - they just get it done.

First female WANG command chief

"To be honest, I haven't felt like I have had to overcome any more difficulties than my male counterparts," said Almond, the first female Washington Air National Guard Command Chief of the Western Air Defense Sector. "I have always strived to do the best I could when put into positions or given tasks, and as a military member, we should never be satisfied with the status quo because in my opinion it means we don't want to grow any further."

Time appears to be the only major difficulty for this powerful figure in the military community, who is also currently working on attaining her Master's degree.

"Time - there never seems to be enough of it, and when continuously striving to do your best, time always seems to be a factor," she said. "As a mother of three daughters, I have had to learn how to balance my military commitments with my family commitments and sometimes that becomes extremely difficult."

When asked about overcoming obstacles because of her gender, Almond said any difficulties she had were due to military positions and not because she is a woman. This is a welcome change from obstacles that female servicemembers have dealt with in decades past.

"I don't think I had to overcome situations because I was a woman - I think I had to overcome obstacles because of lack of upward positions, and this is a situation all members face," Almond said.  "I have had to learn to be patient, and if something was meant to be it would happen.

"Don't let anyone else control your destiny," she added. "If you continue to work hard, be dedicated to your personnel, and get out of your comfort zone, the right things will happen ...  within the Washington Air National Guard, I feel that I was given opportunities based on my performance versus on gender. Additionally, I think getting involved with things outside of our respective units (being active and visible) demonstrates to our leadership that we care about the whole big picture."                                                                                                                                      

Perseverance through adversity only forced this command chief to work harder.

"There were times in my earlier military years (that) I wanted to separate because I felt like I wasn't getting where I wanted to go fast enough, but then (I) decided if something was worth it and if I wanted to be able to make change, I just needed to work harder, not let anyone else tell me I couldn't do something, and give 100 percent to what I was doing and things would change."

First female CW5, CCWO in Washington

Burgess, the command chief warrant officer (CCWO) for the Washington National Guard, was the first female CW5 and CCWO in Washington and served as an air mission commander for the first all-female UH-60 crew on a combat mission in Iraq.

"I don't encounter the same issues that I did when I first entered the service," she said. "It's much different now than it was 30 years ago."

Although there has been an obvious shift in the military for female soldiers during the last 30 years, Burgess is fortunate to live in a state that has continued to provide opportunities for her career.

"I've been given opportunities to be challenged and to succeed," she said. "I don't know if that would have been the same in a different state, but I hope that I would've had the same opportunities in any state."

Burgess said she's worked to insure "that that the organization recognizes the relevance and value of warrant officers and how they can benefit the organization" during her career.

Second female CSM in Washington

West, with the 205th Leadership Regiment, Washington Army National Guard, was the second female to become a senior CSM in Washington, and she lives with the great feeling of knowing she was able to influence a paradigm shift of thought about women in the military.

"I was the first female command sergeant major in a mostly male-driven brigade (81st ABCT).  In fact, one of my companies within my own battalion was an all-male unit. It took them a while to get to know me and not be afraid to talk with me and I put forth a lot of effort to ‘break' into their brotherhood and be accepted.

"I had a distinct feeling of responsibility to perform well and not fail because there would be another female that would someday be the CSM in the 81st.  If I could pave a successful path, it makes her road easier," West said. "But most importantly, I wanted to set an example for any soldier, of any gender, that if you want to be a leader, it's possible. If I can make it, so can you!"

West critiqued her own self-doubt and fears.

"It's funny how you are your own worst enemy, but learning how to understand your worth to an organization is paramount to moving forward," she said - and she's had to do nothing but just be herself with her success.

"When I made E-9, my state CSM asked me what I thought about being the first female CSM in the 81st. I told him I don't know what a CSM is supposed to act like. His response was just, ‘be yourself. That is what got you to this level in the first place.'"

West knew she couldn't act or be any other way but herself, and she hasn't wavered from that idea.

"I think being a woman in the military comes with a set of obstacles, but those obstacles can be overcome by being true to yourself and having the ability to be assertive when need be," she said. "I do feel that the obstacles are not huge ones; they are minor. The opportunity is open for capable people within the military to be successful regardless of gender."

So the next time you think of a military person in command and boots on the ground, consider a woman in the role. Dedication and sacrifice are not gender roles, and these three hard-working servicemembers are living, fighting proof.