Chief Warrant Officer Asia White considers herself fortunate.
It was exactly 30 years ago today that the first women were assigned to combatant ships, changing naval policy forever. The USS Dwight Eisenhower made history in 1994 by including many firsts for women including having the very first female chaplain.
"I think it's absolutely amazing that they allowed us to get on board, you know, 30 years ago, and even since then, we've had so many firsts. I remember when they allowed us to be on the first submarine. Every day we are making the way," White said.
The South Carolina native is assigned to the USS Shiloh, a missile cruiser. It was previously based in Japan but moved to its new homeport of Pearl Harbor six months ago.
White is married with two children and her spouse, Meladina, is also in the Navy and is still stationed there.
"I was grateful enough to be placed in the perfect places with the perfect people who just wanted to see me succeed," she said.
However, she said the closest she got to reaching a low point in the military was in May 2020 when protests over the murder of George Floyd erupted nationwide.
"I think it really shook not only the civilian world, but the military as a whole, because the same way women are a minority, if you look at race, it's different as well," she said.
White said she hasn't experienced that kind of disrespect or mistreatment while serving in the military but understands that is not everyone's experience.
"I think it's important for us all to one recognize that, yes, (women) are still a minority, but still be in the mindset of understanding that we're here to stay. We're here to succeed. We're here to strive to be great."
This story aired on The Conversation on March 7, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
