3rd HBCT Celebrates Women’s Equality Day

Maj. Carla Simmons, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s Staff Judge Advocate, speaks to the Soldiers of the 3rd HBCT during the Women’s Equality Day dinner held at the FOB Hammer Dining Facility Aug. 29.

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3rd HBCT celebrates Women’s Equality Day
Story and photos by Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd HBCT Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER– Soldiers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team held a dinner in honor of Women’s Equality Day at the FOB Hammer Dining Facility Aug. 29.

Maj. Carla Simmons, Staff Judge Advocate, 3rd HBCT, was the featured speaker for the event.

Simmons highlighted the accomplishments of women in and outside the military in her speech and called attention to the important work servicewomen in the 3rd HBCT are doing during their current deployment.

“I was very excited to speak,” she said. “I thought this was a wonderful opportunity to present that speech to the men and women of the Sledgehammer Brigade.”

Lt. Col. Ryan J. Kuhn, deputy commander, 3rd HBCT, introduced Simmons and stressed the significance of the day.

“Today we celebrate the Army because women are a part of it,” he explained. “The 248 servicewomen that are currently serving in this brigade over here are important and all 248 make an impact every day out here. There is not a single thing that gets done in this brigade that doesn’t have a servicewoman’s touch on it.”

Master Sgt. Lawrence Jordan, the Brigade Equal Opportunity Advisor, agreed with Kuhn.

“This day is very important because it gives us a chance to recognize the women servicemembers who have served this nation’s armed forces in the past,” he said. “At one point, career choices for women serving in our nations armed forces were very limited. We have come a long way from those days and it is good to recognize what our women servicemembers have accomplished and celebrate the opportunities they have now.”

The 3rd HBCT is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom V, since March 2007