GSI Students Attend TBCFR Dinner
Source/Author: Richard Beaton, GSI Advisor
October 08, 2015
Four Upper School students who are enrolled in Shorecrest's Global Scholars Initiative (GSI) attended the Tampa Bay Committee on Foreign Relations dinner on September 30, to hear remarks from Gayle Lemmon.
Ms. Lemmon is currently a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also an accomplished journalist and best-selling author. Her remarks were based on her most recent book, "Ashley's War", which profiles the activities of a group of elite women soldiers who worked as "Cultural Support Teams" alongside Army Rangers engaged in counter-insurgency in Afghanistan. Army leadership had concluded that valuable information was available from Afghan women, but, given the traditional nature of Afghan society, such information was essentially inaccessible to male soldiers. On many occasions, the women came under enemy fire, and some were killed. Their service was hailed by their male counterparts, but it was not publicly reported. And the program was not renewed after the initial year's deployment.
Ms. Lemmon stressed that "these women were warriors", that they wished to serve their country to the best of their ability. She acknowledged that society is changing slowly, but her final, telling comment was a question to the audience: "What does a 'vet' look like?" For most people, it's not the image of a woman that comes to mind.
Ms. Lemmon is currently a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is also an accomplished journalist and best-selling author. Her remarks were based on her most recent book, "Ashley's War", which profiles the activities of a group of elite women soldiers who worked as "Cultural Support Teams" alongside Army Rangers engaged in counter-insurgency in Afghanistan. Army leadership had concluded that valuable information was available from Afghan women, but, given the traditional nature of Afghan society, such information was essentially inaccessible to male soldiers. On many occasions, the women came under enemy fire, and some were killed. Their service was hailed by their male counterparts, but it was not publicly reported. And the program was not renewed after the initial year's deployment.
Ms. Lemmon stressed that "these women were warriors", that they wished to serve their country to the best of their ability. She acknowledged that society is changing slowly, but her final, telling comment was a question to the audience: "What does a 'vet' look like?" For most people, it's not the image of a woman that comes to mind.
Pictured (L to R): Will M, Will M, Kyle M, Gayle Lemmon and Marine B.
