The Third Lieutenant

In honor of Women's History Month we salute two trailblazers who paved the way for our service. Honorary General Mary McLeod Bethune was an advisor to the United States Women’s Army for National Defense and Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. She opened the door for Brigadier General Hazel Johnson Brown to serve at the highest levels of the Department of Defense. Without these women, our military would look quite different.Listen to hear their story and how it ultimately impacted mine.Read correspondence between Mrs. Mary Bethune and President Harry S. Truman that led to the inclusion of Black women in the Officer Corps.Read Timeka L. Thomas Rashid's dissertation entitled “Leading by Example: An Examination of Mary McLeod Bethune’s Leadership as a College President”.As a note of respect, I’d like to thank my mother, my sister, and all of the amazing women and military leaders who have shared their journeys with me:Captain Cynthia L. Turner (US Air Force)Major Kimberly L. Mallard Brown (US Army)Commander Melissa R. Troncoso (US Navy)Major Natasha M. Hinds (US Army Ret)And all of the gentlemen who have been guests… I thank the women in your lives. Your daughters, wives, and mothers for their support. One team one fight.I am grateful.

After Sergeant Michael D. Brown separated from the United States Army he traveled a path that doesn't follow the standard narrative. As a Veteran, he participated in higher education as a student, then made a career of it. In this episode, Mike shares his experience as the Director of Veteran Services for Montgomery County Community College and the Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members at Villanova University. Hear Mike's Soldier's story and his current work: Voices of Villanova’s Veterans, where we interview Veterans with a connection to Villanova, and archive their story. https://veteransvoices.library.villanova.edu/ Villanova's interactive Memorial Map, where we have used GPS technology to pinpoint where Villanovans have died while in service. This tool allows users to look across the globe and learn about servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice. https://memorialmap.library.villanova.edu/

2020 was a great year for the Third Lieutenant Podcast. We are grateful to all of our guests, MAJ Hinds (Ret.), CPT Buford, COL Shabazz, CDR Troncoso, Dr. da Silva, CPL. Dizon, and MAJ. Mallard-Brown and we look forward to an amazing 2021 ahead! Thank you for being a listener. We ask you to listen, subscribe, and review!

Commander Melissa R. Troncoso and Lieutenant Uade B. Da Silva share their unique paths to PhDs. Both Officers have served as Naval researchers who highlight how academic and applied research is used to protect the health and welfare of service members. As a medical practitioner, Commander Troncoso’s mantra, “It Will Get Done and It Will Be Great” is one of the ways she develops resilience in the warfighter. Dr. Da Silva identifies how everyday adversity met by servicemembers can be used to achieve success, in and out of uniform. Each shares their insight of how mentors and sponsors can encourage servicemembers to stay the course toward academic success.

Army Colonel Khallid Shabazz, author of "A Call to Reason: Losing Our Manhood", shares the events that led to the turning point of his life. He shares how two children and two Article 15’s led to two doctoral degrees after a shift in mindset that altered his career trajectory. Colonel Shabazz believes that the Chaplain is a valuable asset to military commanders. The Colonel offers his experience in both the Christian and Islamic faith to highlight the Chaplain as a unique cultural asset that serves leaders at the most critical times. Colonel Shabazz advises, “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it”. Listen, subscribe, and share.

Naval Captain Maurice Buford found his path to purpose when he pledged his life to save his brother’s. Maurice’s educational journey began in Slow Learning Development (SLD) classes, but he mustered the fortitude to go from SLD to a PhD. He believes that every man longs to find their purpose. His work through spiritual fitness encourages others to walk in love and find their flow. Listen and hear Captain Buford share that, “The worst thing in life isn’t death, it is living a life without purpose”. 

Major Natasha Hinds, US ARMY Retired, didn't take the most direct path into entrepreneurship. Like many military officers, Natasha's journey started with a decision that determined how she would pay for college. After a 20+ year military career and 5 college degrees, Natasha has settled into entrepreneurship bringing with her all of the knowledge skills and abilities she developed in the military and academia. Keep Your Hair Headgear can be found at Keepyourhairheadgear.com and on LinkTree: KeepYourHairHeadgear.

Welcome to the Third Lieutenant. During Season 1 we will hear from Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who have traveled the path of academia while in uniform. Subscribe!