As the military slowly evolves into a more diverse group, Army Sergeant Corrin Campbell has set a personal goal for herself- to convince more young women to join the service. Other than the military, Campbell has taken on a part-time job of singing at different schools in her local area and has gotten a positive response from many children she has encountered. Often, they are taken back by the fact that Campbell is a combat veteran of the 1^st cavalry division and why she looks so normal for her past and present occupation.

“They are surprised that I have a job that makes me look like a normal person, (yet) associated with something that makes them think I’m not normal,” reports Campbell to CNN.

Many teenage girls have gained a perception of the military as a masculine place to be and that they simply do not fit in with their fellow soldiers. In the past, that thought has taken a tremendous toll on how many females signing up for the military each year. Just last year, out of 195,000 applicants only 25% of them were women and their femininity is the reason that many hold back from the recruiting process. Adding onto that, many women have been reluctant about applying due to the alarming number of sexual harassment and sexual assault attacks on active-duty women in the force. By combining more women into the military, there would be an increase of diversity which would provide a solution to many challenges recruiting offices face today.

“The power of diversifying… makes any organization better. Even on the battlefield. Particularly on the battlefield,” says Ann Dunwoody, America’s first four-star female general.

Women are a minority in the military and with the help of many communities, the door is open for change and opportunity. Many girls often get the idea that in the military, it is expected of you to alter your personality to become more like the male environment. Dunwoody took a stance against this in her book, “A Higher Standard”, where she expanded on the importance of continuing to be yourself in the military. By holding onto that, you are able to demonstrate your self-confidence as a women. Those qualities will serve as a foundation that will only encourage other women to join and not be intimidated in the future.

“It doesn’t mean I never did it, but you just try to be who you are. And you can be. You can be confident, demonstrate that you are capable and you have credibility,” Dunwoody told CNN.

FSA Connection Questions

1. In the article, the word “credibility” means what?
2. In the article, the author seems to offer what main idea?
3. Select the tow best sentences that support that main idea in the text.
4. What is the connotation of the word “confidence”?
5. What is a common reason that women are discouraged to apply for the military.