For this episode, we're taking a break from our 50th anniversary podcasts to dive into some current events in important ways. Our 50th podcasts will pick back up in the next two weeks with interviews with women from '94 and '95.

Women in combat - specifically, women in previously-closed combat occupations and combat arms units - have been in the news recently. Earlier this month, the Department of Defense announced that it was launching an "independent review" of the "effectiveness" of women in combat arms units. As so many of us have been part of integration in various forms - from the opening of the service academies to women in the 80s through the removal of restrictions on women in combat aircraft and on combat ships in the 90s and through the opening of previously-closed specialties in the 2010s - we felt this topic would make a fitting one for us to cover in the leadup to the 50th anniversary. (Here's another article about the review underway and the response of some military and veteran women to the news: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/women-react-review-combat-jobs/).

Please join us as Jeannette and Jenn meet and speak with Beth Wolny, LtCol USMCR (Ret.), who led research for the Marine Corps in the buildup to the opening of ground combat specialties a decade ago. Beth is a wealth of information - our conversation covers the scope and scale of research that the Corps conducted over those years, the absence of standards before integration and how integration has allowed strong, gender-neutral standards to be set, and what the impacts of integration have been. Beth is working on a book about her experiences -- if you want to learn more about her work and gender integration in the Corps, you can visit her blog, where she covers a wide range of topics: https://breakingintothebrotherhood.com.

Thank you! And thank you to the USNA AA&F for the support, Chris Servillo '99 and Natasha Schleper for editing our work, and the USNA Women's Glee Club for lending us your voices

Hi everyone - please join us for an insightful discussion about disordered eating and its roots with USNA alumna Lauren Narducci Symmes '00 and her daughter Lorelai Symmes! Lorelai is a first-year doctoral student whose research broadly focuses on the psychosocial factors that influence the development and maintenance of body image disturbances and disordered eating, particularly during childhood and adolescence. She is especially interested in how disordered eating behaviors are developed and transmitted, including through familial influences. Her prior research has explored the role of psychological inflexibility in disordered eating, the comorbidity of eating disorders and substance use disorders, and the efficacy of in-person versus virtual body image interventions.

We at SOMB have discussed disordered eating and eating disorders in past episodes, and given that military servicemembers and dependents may be at increased risk of developing eating disorders compared to the general population (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37493029/), we felt this discussion would be particularly useful for this community. Jeannette and her middle child, Juliette, cohost this episode.

A few notes and sources: - In the podcast, Jeannette briefly - and vaguely - mentions the origins of BMI. To learn more (and do so accurately, not off the top of Jeannette's head), here are a few sources. BMI was developed by a Belgian mathematician as a way of referencing the "average man" - women and people of different races and ethnicities were largely excluded. -- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-02/the-problem-with-the-body-mass-index-bmi/100728416 -- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10693914/

- More info about military servicemembers, dependents and eating disorders: -- https://sea-waves.org/resources/the-hidden-toll-of-military-service-eating-disorders-in-children-of-service-members -- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/04/15/1092065671/the-military-might-be-creating-a-perfect-storm-for-eating-disorders

- Disordered eating vs eating disorders: -- https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-explained/disordered-eating-and-dieting#:~:text=Disordered%20eating%20sits%20on%20a,irregular%20or%20inflexible%20eating%20patterns.

- Some sources on intergenerational impacts (Lorelai may share more, and we'll upload those if so!): -- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40337-024-01088-8 -- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144516302480#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20a%20grandmother%20with,her%20mother's%20behaviors%20and%20attitudes.

There are more sources out there, but here's a start...

Please join the Sisterhood today as we meet and talk with Kimberly Walz '92! Kim was a plankowner of the USNA women's lacrosse team, rowed crew, and bench pressed her body weight on the powerlifting team...and then went on to serve on active duty and in the reserves (where she still serves as a RDML!). We spoke of NAPS versus USNA, resilience, the importance of having leaders who look for ways to help us bring out our strengths (and stay engaged), and Guns n Roses (Welcome to the Jungle). Thank you, Kim, for joining us and for your positive and fantastic insights and stories! We loved this discussion with. And, because we're publishing this the night before the Army-Navy game, BEAT ARMY...

Please join us to listen to and learn from Stefanie Goebel '80, Chair of the Survivor Advocacy Network (SAN). Stefanie has joined us before in her personal capacity (in 2019!), but this time she comes on the pod to talk with us about the SAN, its origins, scope, and so much more. We are incredibly grateful to Stefanie for her willingness to come back on and share her expertise and energy with us -- this was a hard but needed discussion. THANK YOU, Stefanie! Before you listen, please be aware that we discuss sensitive topics, including sexual assault, in this episode. Survivors and others may be triggered by the content. As Stefanie shared, what that means is that they may unexpectedly feel especially strong emotions, disoriented/confused, flushed, very anxious, or depressed. This may happen DURING the podcast or AFTER. To deal with the feelings, they should first recognize that they are triggered, then be willing to do some self care through a variety of options. They can: do some simple deep breathing; take a hot shower, take a long walk, talk to a friend, or write about what they are feeling. All these things usually help us "self-regulate" or return to feeling more like ourselves again.

Second, Stefanie shared a list of resources with us. We're unable to attach those here, but please reach out to Stefanie at the address below or to us at [email protected] and we can share those resources. They are also linked below.

Also, from the SAN:

• To donate to the SAN's in person Renewal & Recovery Retreat for service academy alumnae: go to USNA Women donation page ( https://myusna.com/topics/9176/page/donate ) then select "donate here" on the "USNA Women: Building a Legacy for the Future" option (first of two options). On the resulting page choose "Renewal & Recovery Retreat" in the "purpose" field.
• SAN Website: https://www.survivoradvocacynetwork.org/
• SAN Youtube channel (for past webinar recordings): https://www.youtube.com/@SurvivorAdvocacyNetwork
• SAN Resource List for Survivors
• To contact Stefanie: [email protected] or [email protected]

Thank you to Stefanie for sharing her time, energy, and passion with us!

Aaaaand we're in the 90s now! (The best decade... kidding.) Please join Jeannette and Shannon as we talk with Kristin (Dryfuse) Barnes '92, F-14 RIO, doctor of naturopathic medicine, Ironman triathlete, author of Haysoos the Honu, and so much more. Ask her how she got her call sign, Rosie... news flash, it's not because of Rosie the Riveter. We're talking about Navy jet squadrons in the 90s, after all.

Kristin is brilliant, a crazy impressive athlete, and was one of the first women to enter the F-14 community and knock down barriers right after women were finally allowed into combat aviation. As if that isn't enough, she then went back to school and earned two master's degrees and a doctorate. Her bio is impressive... and talking to her was even more fun than reading her bio! Please join us and listen to her story - and if you're interested, check out her children's book (Haysoos the Honu)!

Thank yous:

Thank you to the USNA Women's Glee Club for letting us use their beautiful voices!

We also want to put in a plug for our fellow USNA AA&F Fleet of Podcasts: Sing Second, Navy Football, Anchors Aweigh, and Academy Insider. The USNA AA&F is now supporting the Waypoints podcast by covering the editing costs for us through the 50th Anniversary next spring! And we're sharing notes from the AA&F to help spread the word:

• Army/Navy game is December 13! Navy and Army uniforms were revealed this week, and the game button from the AA&F is out on their instagram page (@usnaalumni).

• Service Assignment Day is November 20. Last year, Class of 2025 had 787 total Navy assignments and 262 total Marine Corps assignments for a total of 1,049 for the class.

• For Daily Shipmate and Podcast Fleet supporters: "Do you have a business? Or maybe you work for a company that wants to connect with the Naval and Marine Corps community? Either way, we want to hear from you. Daily Shipmate and our Fleet of Podcasts reach thousands of alumni every day around the globe. Sponsoring these platforms is an awesome way to get in front of fellow alumni, support Navy programs, and spotlight your business to a trusted, seriously engaged audience. So whether you're an alum-owned business, part of a company that gives back, or serving local folks in D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis, or folks anywhere, this is your chance to plug into the Navy network. Shoot us an email at [email protected] and let's chat."

• Wreaths Across America - if you support this effort each year, this year's drive still needs help - 700 wreaths shy of the total of 2,900 needed. If you can spare the change please help. Each wreath is $17.00 and by going to this sitewreathsacrossamerica.org/md0011 for every three wreaths you buy USNA will get the 4th for free.

Thank you!

We took a brief hiatus with this episode to dig into current event. This past Spring, after officials at USNA removed a display of Jewish women graduates from the Jewish Midshipman Center, Shannon and Carrie sat down to talk with our '98 classmate, Misty Hechinger, about the incident as well as being a Jewish woman at USNA and in the fleet. This wide-ranging discussion touched on the challenges of being a dual minority, leading a diverse force, and what we can do to support midshipmen, young officers, and each other moving forward.

Our celebration of the 50th continues through the 1980s as we speak with Marie (Schanz) Burris, Class of 1986. Those of you who are part of the 50th anniversary committee for USNA will recognize Marie's name and voice, since she's heading up the planning for the 50th and all that comes with it.

Please join us as we learn from Marie and her journey, her strength and resilience, and her thoughts on leadership. We discuss how our experiences at USNA and in the fleet can shape whether we stay in or get out, how we lead, and our concerns about backpedaling. Also: we talk about Aretha Franklin.

And we would be failing if we didn't include the link to sign up for the Early Bird Registration for the 50th Anniversary celebration:

The "Screaming Early Bird" saves you $175 from the regular priced tickets, so don't miss out on this amazing deal!

Registration link: https://SignUpNow.Events/USNAWomen50

This special weekend will take place from April 16-19, 2026, in Annapolis at the Fluegel Alumni Center (FAC) and the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (NMCMS). The weekend will have inspiring speakers, panelists, valuable networking opportunities, featured USNA Women artists and authors, and celebrations that include:

• Thursday, April 16th: Golf Outing
• Thursday, April 16th: Welcoming reception (FAC)
• Friday, April 17th: Day 1 Conference (NMCMS) and Gala (FAC)
• Saturday, April 18th: Day 2 Conference (NMCMS)
• Sunday, April 19th: First Class Welcome (Welcoming Class of 2026) (FAC)

Hi everyone! Somehow, the long and fancy episde description we submitted with the podcast didn't fully upload. Please excuse the mistake... and see the details, below.

Please join SOMB today as we talk with Pamela K. Pitkin, USNA '82. We spent an afternoon with Pamela discussing the great class of 82, life at USNA, life beyond USNA, and what she thinks about as the 50th approaches.

Pamela also asked that we include a few notes here as corrections:

Continuing the work to share stories from alumnae across the classes in support of the 50th anniversary of women at the Military Service Academies, in this episode, we interview an alumna of the Class of 1983, Tatjana Qadada.

Tatjana's story is an incredibly powerful one, and we are grateful to her for her willingness to share it with us so that we can better understand the deep, significant challenges faced by women both at USNA and beyond over the past half century. We hope you all listen to her story and understand how important hearing it is.

As Tatjana's story drives home, the stories of women at Annapolis may be ones of courage, strengthm and resilience, but those qualities also may reveal themselves in conjunction with deeper trauma. This episode, as with past episodes, includes descriptions of sexual assault and other forms of violence. We are grateful to Tatjana and to so many of you for trusting us with your stories and with lessons that you have learned from the trauma you've experienced and the steps you've taken as life progressed to seek healing. We also want to share a key resource that was started and is led by Service Academy alumna: the Survivor Advocacy Network (https://www.survivoradvocacynetwork.org). We encourage each of you to visit the site and see what they do.

Thank you all - and thank you particularly to Tatjana Qadada, USNA '83, for trusting us with her story!

As our celebration of the 50th anniversary through Waypoints podcasts continues, please join Jeannette and Shannon as we talk with three women from '81 and '82 - Mary Brigden and Peggy Metzger (both '81) and Kathy Bustle ('82). We learn more about what it felt like to be a female mid at USNA during a Forrestal lecture in October 1979, the letter that Peggy's mother wrote to her that became a source of strength and pride, and the music of the late 70s/early 80s (Boston's More Than a Feeling, Blondie - Heart of Glass, Buffett, Boz Scaggs, and WHFS).