JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
A group of female U.S. Army Soldiers gathered for breakfast in a dining facility at Fort Eustis, Virginia Jan. 23 to take part in a "Sisters-in-Arms" forum.
The program is designed to foster an environment where female Soldiers are comfortable discussing issues in an informal setting and can receive proper mentorship and guidance from senior female mentors.
"Only females will understand the walk of another female Service member," said U.S. Army Sgt. Major Trinette Robinson, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command quality assurance sergeant major and SIA founder. "Or what they will go through during their career."
A panel of senior noncommissioned officers of different ranks, ethnicities, backgrounds and jobs led the event and ensured all questions could be answered.
After learning about the SIA program, Robinson and Sgt. Major Caprecia Miller, U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Prevention program manager, decided to start a SIA program at Fort Eustis, Virginia after meeting at the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.
The first kick-off event, which brought in over 70 Soldiers, was in November 2014, where items such as personal appearance, physical abilities and leadership, were discussed by a senior leader panel.
Each panel or event held will have a different focus for the female Soldiers, said Miller.
Both Robinson and Miller are motivated about helping and planning to get the program running by hosting quarterly events or gatherings.
The topic for this quarter's panel was 'how to improve on work performance.' The panel members gave their opinions while at the same time asking for audience interaction on the topic.
In the future, the program members hope to plan a possible boot camp, or Zumbathon as well as different panels for the future events as a way to keep the Soldiers active and get the group together.
"We have a ton of ideas," said Robinson. "But, what we do and the sort of events we do are completely up to the group."
With the goal in mind of coaching, teaching and motivating female enlisted, officer and warrant officer Service members, the pair expresses how hopeful they are for SIA to become a great outlet for females.
"I am extremely passionate about mentoring Soldiers," said Miller. "[The Soldiers] that will eventually be the Army's future sergeants major and command sergeants major."
For more information on SIA contact Miller at capercia.a.miller.mil@mail.mil or Robinson at
trinette.m.robinson.mil@mail.mil.