Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead serves as Maryland’s 31st adjutant common — making her the only Black woman who leads a state navy in the U.S. Above, Birckhead outlines plans to enhance fairness in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout a information convention in Annapolis, Md., in March 2021.
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Brian Witte/AP
Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead serves as Maryland’s 31st adjutant common — making her the only Black woman who leads a state navy in the U.S. Above, Birckhead outlines plans to enhance fairness in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout a information convention in Annapolis, Md., in March 2021.
Brian Witte/AP
When making use of to high schools, Brigadier Gen. Janeen Birckhead and her mom exhausted each choice attainable to cowl her tuition. For Birckhead, a profession in the navy was by no means one thing that crossed her thoughts.
Little did she know her utility for an ROTC scholarship at Hampton University in Virginia would set her on the path to changing into the chief she is right now.
“She challenged me to apply, and I got the interview. And then, after I got the interview, I went through the process, and I was awarded the scholarship. How can you turn it down? So that was the journey. That’s how the journey began,” Birckhead informed NPR.
It’s a journey that has taken Birckhead from her life rising up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to her function right now as adjutant common — the high navy place in the state.
And along with her appointment in April by Gov. Wes Moore, Birckhead grew to become the only Black woman in the nation to guide a state navy, liable for the fight readiness of 4,600 troopers.
“The Adjutant General is the leader of Maryland’s Military, and I am very confident in Janeen’s ability to do just that — lead. Her record proves her readiness to serve at the highest-ranking military position in the state of Maryland,” Moore said when he introduced her nomination.
From ROTC to 30 years in the service
When Birckhead began her navy profession at Hampton, the college’s ROTC program — generally known as the pirate battalion — helped instill onerous work, dedication and self-discipline. For leaders in the pirate battalion, graduating the finest future officers into the armed forces was a level of delight.
Birckhead says this mindset formed her into the chief she is right now — and helped her navigate the many command roles she’s been tasked with finishing up throughout her service.
Before changing into adjutant common, Birckhead served on the employees of Moore’s Republican predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan.
In early 2021 Birckhead was appointed by Hogan as the job power commander for over 14,000 troopers guarding the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 assault. She additionally led the Maryland National Guard’s security mission for President Biden’s inauguration.
Later that 12 months, she was requested to guide what grew to become the nation’s first operational vaccine fairness job power. In this place, she distributed vaccines, visited native communities and decided who wanted vaccines most based mostly on demographics.
The push to develop illustration in the navy
Maryland National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead visits with a woman as she receives her Moderna coronavirus vaccine in Wheaton, Md., in 2021.
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Maryland National Guard Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead visits with a woman as she receives her Moderna coronavirus vaccine in Wheaton, Md., in 2021.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Birckhead will not be the first Black woman to guide a state’s navy, however as she approaches her sixth month in workplace, she has drawn inspiration from her function mannequin — the now-retired Major General Linda Singh — who was the first woman and African American to command the Maryland National Guard.
She understands how uncommon it is for somebody like her to rise in the ranks. In 2021, lower than one in 5 lively obligation officers in the Army had been ladies. Only 9% of officers in the Marine Corps had been ladies.
And whereas she is pleased with her rise, after three a long time of service, she nonetheless wonders why the navy continues to have “firsts.”
“I’ve been in for 30 years. And we still have first of, you know, first like this, first woman this. And it’s very telling. Firsts are great. But we want a second and a third and a fourth. And then we don’t have to say the first. But that’s just the culture of the organization. And that’s where we want to get to,” Birckhead mentioned.
She acknowledges it will not at all times be straightforward. Over the course of her personal profession, Birkhead says, she’s usually felt missed as a Black woman in a navy tradition dominated by males.
“If I have my uniform on, it’s really very interesting to walk into a room. They will address my aide, or they’ll address the person that’s with me that’s not a Black female; clearly, they must be the leader. And that mental leap perception happens so many times,” Birckhead mentioned.
Luckily, her crew is adept at correcting those that make these errors. They usually should level to her and let folks know she is the chief they’re searching for.
The challenges and objectives forward
Birckhead is not any stranger to overcoming challenges — and he or she is aware of she’s going to encounter extra as she continues to navigates her new function.
One of the hardest challenges she is prone to face helps increase recruitment — a predicament not only for her personal power in Maryland, but for the military more broadly.
“I have to get out in front of people organizations, the community, and say that this is how the National Guard is a fit for your child or your loved one, and give them some assurance that your loved one will be taken care of, be safe in our organization, that there’s something here for everyone,” Birckhead mentioned.
She can also be specializing in the challenges related to merely working a profitable group. Her purpose is for all of her troopers to have wholesome working circumstances and ensuring the proper persons are doing the proper jobs.
“I will continue to push behavior health and ensuring that we have soldiers and airmen and civilian employees who feel that they’re safe and that they have somewhere to go when their issues need to be addressed,” Birckhead mentioned.