Gaining insights into 'women warriors'

AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Fairchild Air Force Base hosted a special tour on July 23 for the Girl Scouts of America. The Athena Tour took a select group of Girl Scouts around the base to meet with women in the military who occupy a multitude of roles, dubbed "women warriors" by the Scouts. They even got official scout patches to prove it.

The girls taking the tour were not there randomly. While selling their iconic cookies, the Scouts also worked to secure boxes to donate to the military. The goal was 150 boxes, but those on the tour went well beyond that threshold. They boasted numbers in the 200s, and the tour was a part of their reward.

"I'm appreciative of them putting forward these role models," said Brian Newberry, CEO of Girl Scouts, Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. "This tour allows them to see these options firsthand. Many of these girls will have the opportunity in a few years to figure out what they want to do."

The tour began with the 92nd Mission Support Group, where the girls were introduced to a few of the many roles women in the military hold. They were able to see the work of the base's civil engineers, from military-grade glow sticks to combat support items.

At the K-9 training area, Staff Sargent Crystal Maldonado walked the group through the kennels and answered their many questions about the dogs. After the tour, she gave a demonstration with K-9 Lily, who flew through the obstacle course. They also gave a demonstration of how Lily would help her handler out in the field, with the help of another officer in protective gear.

"It was a little nerve wracking," Maldonado said.

It was her first demo, as she had only been with the dogs for four months when approached about the tour. "I like to show the girls the opportunities they have, so when they reached out, I was super excited. I'm glad I was able to show them those options."

They also visited Skid Row, where Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Golembiewski introduced the girls to the 36th Rescue Squadron. Golembiewski is commander of the squadron, which supports multiple training operations and provides evacuations in their UH-1N "Huey" helicopters.

For girl scout Genevieve Morris, that stop was part of a dream. Morris has multiple career plans, and flying a helicopter is one of them. "I think they're so cool," she said. "I've always wanted to fly them and to be a doctor."

Her favorite part? The moment she buckled into the driver's seat of a (grounded) Huey. The helicopters were not the only interactive spots on the tour. Their next stop with Staff Sargent Erikka Anderson was at the 92nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal. The girls got to learn about some of the explosives, try on protective equipment and pilot their robots.

Many of the "women warriors" the girls met on the tour were former girl scouts themselves. As a thank you for the tour, specialized patches and complimentary cookies were dropped off at every stop along the tour.

Riley Kankelberg can be reached at [email protected].