 As
a female military police officer, US
Army Staff Sergeant Katteri Franklin
had a much different experience than
her fellow male Soldiers while
serving in Iraq.
"The Iraqi women would stare at me
and I would ask them what they were
looking at," reflected Franklin.
Their response would be that they
had never seen a woman in uniform
before."
Despite their initial curiosity and
sometimes shock, the Iraqi women
learned to trust Franklin and
consider her an ally. She was able
to use her gender to her advantage
by helping them be more comfortable
around U.S. servicemembers.
"The Iraqi women would seek me out
when they needed medical or aid
supplies, "said Franklin."They felt
more comfortable around me."
Due to Franklin's willingness to
interact closely with the Iraqi
civilians, she became a critical
part of ensuring that the local
women and children had access to aid
and medical treatment during her
mission. Franklin's service in Iraq
earned her a Bronze Star.
"I think it was easier for them to
talk to me because I was a female,"
said Franklin, who was one of 22
female Soldiers in her Company and
one of five in the Platoon.
In addition to building
relationships with the women
civilians, Franklin was a team
leader in training the Iraqi police.
She led up to 11 U.S. Soldiers at a
time when they would go outside the
wire to the Iraqi police stations
and teach security measures.
"I learned a lot about the Iraqi
people that I didn't know before,"
reflected Franklin. "I also learned
a lot about my Soldiers. They
managed to do things I never thought
they could before we left (the
U.S.). It was humbling to lead such
fine Soldiers."
Franklin and her Soldiers worked
closely with interpreters to
communicate with the Iraqi police
and their families. One
accomplishment that she is most
proud of from her service in Iraq is
the progress she could see through
the Iraqi police.
"We got them to patrol in areas
where they previously would not go
because of former terrorist
activity," said Franklin. "When the
security on the ground changed, our
other strategies began to take
shape."
"We got them to patrol into areas
where they previously would not go
because of former terrorist
activity," said Franklin. "When the
security on the ground changed, our
other strategies began to take
shape."
After two deployments, one to Iraq,
Franklin is currently finishing U.S.
Army recruitment school in the U.S.
She hopes to become an Army
recruiter and eventually go to
officer training school. She wants
to lead Soldiers for the remainder
of her career - even though Franklin
herself only joined the Army because
she passed Basic Training.
"As a female recruiter, I hope to
let people see a different side of
the Army that they are not used to
seeing," said Franklin. "Maybe then
they will know that it's great to be
a female in the Army." |
