Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Retired Lt. Gen. Susan Helms speaks about her experiences as an officer in the Air Force during a women’s brunch Oct. 29, 2015. Helms spoke about issues women face as members of the military and gave tips on how to be successful. The event was also a great networking opportunity for the attendees. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rose Gudex)Retired Lt. Gen. Susan Helms speaks about her experiences as an officer in the Air Force during a women’s brunch Oct. 29, 2015. Helms spoke about issues women face as members of the military and gave tips on how to be successful. The event was also a great networking opportunity for the attendees. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rose Gudex)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Retired general talks issues facing females in militaryPublished Nov. 4, 2015
                    
                    By Senior Airman Rose Gudex
                    
                    
                    21st Space Wing Public Affairs
            **PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --**Retired Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, a former 14th Air Force commander, spoke to servicewomen from Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever AFB and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station about issues facing females in the military during a women's brunch Oct. 29.The goal of the event was to create an environment where men and women discuss women's issues, network with female leaders and receive advice from a general officer with a vast amount of career achievements, said 1st Lt. Sarah Berheide, one of the event coordinators. The idea evolved from the idea of a "girl's night" and was adapted to become a military social and professional development event.Helms was chosen because of her background in the space field and because she paved the way for women in the military as she was part of the Air Force Academy's first graduating class of females and the first U.S. military female to go to space with NASA where she holds the world record for the longest spacewalk.The experiences of traveling to space five times, spanning a total of 211 days, gave Helms plenty to discuss about working with a predominately male work force. This included her time working with Russian cosmonauts and spanning back to her Academy days when some were not very accepting of women becoming officers.A few points Helms made for attendees were to remain true to oneself despite the pressure to do otherwise, become competent and gain credibility by being a subject matter expert and support one other."If you are really good at what you do, no one can argue that you shouldn't be there," Helms said. "If you really know your stuff and you take the time to be as good as you can possibly be on the mission you've been assigned, that goes a long way toward your credibility and your reputation."A point she emphasized was the importance for women to be proud of their role in the military and not to try to blend in."Don't worry about what can make you stand out as a woman," Helms said. "That's your strength from a diversity standpoint. The Air Force is a much stronger place today because they brought women in at a very fast pace."Peterson AFB 



Schriever AFB 



Cheyenne Mountain AFS 



women

Related Links
        LIEUTENANT GENERAL SUSAN J. HELMS
                                June 29, 2006
                                Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms is Commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command; and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. As the U.S. Air Force's operational space component to USSTRATCOM, General Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil