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being, 'a woman leader.' I just strive to be a leader and a person and somebody who they can look up to. I have two daughters and one son and I never consciously thought about it before, but I see how important it is. We talk about diversity in the military all the time and it is important for people to see leaders who represent the entire spectrum of our society. But I love the fact that working with these three wonderful people here is that my daughters do see people like them leading. Col. Carns: I would say the responsibility I feel is probably what every commander feels every day. It's just this enormous responsibility for the mission and the people. That's what I wake up and feel every day. I have to do my best to get this right — for their sake and for the sake of the mission. That's the responsibility I feel every day. Gen. Hammerstedt: When I came into the Air Force, we did have female senior officers in my career field. For me, early on, I saw women leading in Aircraft Maintenance, so it did not seem unusual. There was never for me, personally, this sense of a roadblock or some type of ceiling that existed. MM: Historically, men outnumber women in all areas of the armed forces. Do you think the tide is turning? Gen. Hammerstedt: Sitting with the four of us, I think it indicates how far we've come. I had the privilege of working for Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, who was in the first class of females at the Air Force Academy and our first female four-star general in the Air Force. Now, she has a story! It's because of leaders like her that we're brave enough to be here today. I know how scared I was when I stepped on the grounds of the Air Force Academy in 1992, which was 16 years after the first female did that into a totally male environment. We are fortunate to have had others go before us. And now, Gen. Lori Robinson has become the first female combatant commander. She's paved the way for others. So that's a big deal. MM: What do you think it would take to draw more women into service? Col. Droz: Probably the same thing would take to draw more Americans into service in general. There's a very, very small percentage of our population that actually serves — whether it's men or women. There's an old saying, 'You recruit Airmen, but you retain families.' And that has a role in it. You have to take care of the Airmen and you have to take care of the families. You have to give them purpose and connectedness. We have to make service something that's valued in our society, whether it's men or women. Gen. Hammerstedt: If you look at a standard graduating high school class, it's a small percentage that is even eligible to serve in the United States military. I try to emphasize to our leaders that the young Airmen who come to us in their first assignment are very special and we need to thank them for saying yes to joining our Air Force. This same small percentage of young Americans could have gone to college or pursued other careers, yet they chose to serve in the Air Force! MM: Do you think any of the new hair regulations and uniform changes for women will make a difference in recruitment or retention? Col. Carns: I was a commander for a training squadron and every time I would have new Airmen come in, I would ask them the same question: 'What brought 46 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021