National Service and Women’s History Month
USIP’s director of the Gender and Peacebuilding Center, Kathleen Kuehnast, participated in the Senate Military Family Caucus annual Joint Services Women’s History Month congressional event on March 13 hosted by Caucus co-chairs, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC). This year’s event highlighted the diverse ways women serve their communities and our nation.
USIP’s director of the Gender and Peacebuilding Center, Kathleen Kuehnast, participated in the Senate Military Family Caucus annual Joint Services Women’s History Month congressional event on March 13 hosted by Caucus co-chairs, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC). This year’s event highlighted the diverse ways women serve their communities and our nation.
The two hour discussion took place on Capitol Hill and brought together women inside the U.S. military and outside of the defense sector who have demonstrated leadership and service to the country. Senator Burr spoke about the important contributions of generations of women who have committed themselves to serving in defense of the nation. Senator Boxer encouraged the continued advancement of women in the U.S. military and throughout society.
Kuehnast focused her remarks on USIP’s work in zones of conflict and gave the example of bringing together Afghan and Iraqi women to share their experiences and lessons learned in how to create more peaceful and stable societies after war. She was inspired in this work in part by her father’s military service in the U.S. Air Force, her mother’s service as a military spouse, and her years living abroad.
Other distinguished panelists included Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), president of the Board of Directors for the Women in Military Service For America Memorial Foundation; Brigadier General Kimberly Field, U.S. Army, deputy director of Strategy, Plans and Policy at the U.S. Army Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7; Kaya Henderson, chancellor of DC Public Schools and former executive director for Teach for America in DC; Kate Ziegler, two-time Olympian in swimming and volunteer; and, Rear Admiral Cari Thomas, U.S. Coast Guard, director of Response Policy.
