Army Col. Tanya McGonegal was 25 when she skilled the primary “solely” in her navy profession. She was the only real girl within the June 1999 graduating class at Virginia State Officer Candidate Faculty.
The commencement set the tone for McGonegal’s 25-year profession with the Army Nationwide Guard, the place she continues paving the way in which for future generations of navy leaders.
“I don’t get up within the morning and assume, ‘I’m going to encourage folks to do extra and be extra,’” McGonegal mentioned with fun. “However I’m very all for difficult myself to do extra and be extra, and if that’s an inspiration to others to do the identical — in a manner that’s sort {and professional} — that may be a plus.”
McGonegal has formally been acknowledged twice as being the primary Black girl to guide a unit, most lately in a historic change of command ceremony Feb. 9 for the U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Process Pressure-Civil Assist in Newport News. The joint activity power, based mostly at Fort Eustis, is liable for civil help and mission management throughout disasters.
On the Fort Eustis-based federal command, McGonegal is liable for main about 160 members every day. If a disaster happens, McGonegal might be liable for coordinating a power of 5,200 who stand able to deploy inside 24-96 hours of discover for any pure or artifical catastrophe.
“Whenever you take command of a unit, as a pacesetter, your first precedence is the group and the service members and their households,” McGonegal mentioned. “You don’t essentially cease and assume, ‘Oh, am I making historical past in taking command immediately?’”
McGonegal served for nearly a decade as a navy police officer for the Army Nationwide Guard, in keeping with her Army biography. She contributed to Operation Noble Eagle in 2001, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and Hurricane Katrina aid efforts in 2005.
Throughout her time within the Reserve power, McGonegal mentioned she spent 4 years working as a Fairfax County police officer. However because of the deployments, she transitioned to serve full-time within the navy.
McGonegal has served as an government officer six instances.
In 2012, she took command of the 151st Army Police Battalion within the West Virginia Army Nationwide Guard. She was not acknowledged for it on the time, however the Joint Process Pressure-Civil help confirmed McGonegal was the primary Black girl to guide the unit.
“You’re chosen by different leaders within the group based mostly in your capacity to do the job, your professionalism as a pacesetter, as an officer,” McGonegal mentioned.
McGonegal was acknowledged in 2019 as the primary Black girl to guide the 77th Brigade Troop, relieving Col. Michaelle Munger, the primary feminine brigade commander within the West Virginia Army Nationwide Guard’s historical past.
“It’s a couple of broader consciousness of variety, inclusion and the way effectively we’re represented within the navy providers,” McGonegal mentioned. “Females serving in uniform — it’s a reasonably small share. So, it’s good that we’re getting acknowledged for doing the job and being prepared to serve in that capability.”
Girls make up solely 17.5% of the active-duty armed forces and 21.6% of Reserve forces however their participation has been rising over the previous twenty years, in keeping with the Division of Protection’s 2022 demographics report. Since 2005, the variety of ladies in active-duty service has grown by 14.2% and the variety of ladies in Reserves has elevated by 17.3%.
One yr earlier than the day of McGonegal’s historic joint activity power change of command ceremony, the unit put out a press release that it’s “outlined by variety.”
“The navy is a microcosm of society, and it’s vital that the group displays the various backgrounds, views and experiences of the American folks. A various workforce brings distinctive abilities and views that may result in higher problem-solving, decision-making and creativity,” then Col. Timothy Sulzner mentioned within the 2023 launch.
As a lady in a navy management place, McGonegal mentioned she has been in a position to be a sounding board for different ladies and minorities in uniform.
“It’s given me extra of a chance to mentor and to offer them a chance to have a voice and to be seen,” she mentioned.
Her system for being a “secure chief,” she mentioned, is easy: Be receptive. Hear and perceive what’s going on, and handle the state of affairs straight away.
“You’ll be able to’t permit someone else’s experiences in life to dictate the way you react and reply,” McGonegal mentioned. “You need to management your individual feelings, and typically meaning if the state of affairs shouldn’t be good, stepping into one other course.”
A big a part of McGonegal’s accountability is connecting with the area people and its emergency response businesses. McGonegal instantly started that activity, connecting with organizations throughout Virginia and West Virginia, together with the Virginia Seashore Vet Heart.
Her most important focus, she mentioned, is to ensure the unit is sustaining its readiness to reply to incidents when wanted.
“Once we get up every single day, everybody has to place their pants on one leg at a time and exit into the world and do and be,” she mentioned. “I get to work with nice folks alongside the way in which and if it evokes others, that’s nice.”
©2024 The Virginian-Pilot. Go to pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company, LLC.
Story Continues
© Copyright 2024 The Virginian-Pilot. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
