The Nest — #female

By Lorraine Hutchinson The year 2012 was the best of times and it was the worst of times for me. In May 2012, after graduating from National University, it seemed that my busy life           would slow down and I could catch my breath. In addition to going to school I was             managing the Logistics Division of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. As the           Deputy Chief of that Division, it was my responsibility to manage the process of               purchasing,...

  Answer by India L.J.Mitchell, Retired Police officer It can be different for every woman but in general, there are a few assumptions made by some male cops and some civilians. Many civilian women would warn me to call for back up (although it was usually on its way) if they were in a fight with their boyfriend and he was a big guy. Most guys would go into their flirtation mode and even try to get me to go out with them! Another assumption is that women just can't handle the job physically the way a man can. Interestingly, most...

  CAMP JAMES E. RUDDER, Fla. — Wearing a cap, sunglasses and a 75-pound rucksack and carrying a 17-pound machine gun, the buzz-cut Army officer quickly traversed a muddy river, pulling on a rope stretched between trees on either bank. After a short break, the soldier shoved a black Zodiac boat into the water for a two-mile paddle with nine other soldiers, one of hundreds of tasks over nine weeks of Ranger School, the top leadership course in the Army. It was hard to tell anything was different about the officer, except when she opened her mouth to ask for...