Opinion: In Mustache March, I lose
Maj. Jennifer Holmes writes an opinion piece for the Air Force Times:
One way to build camaraderie is to have a friendly competition. I, like everyone else, love a good, spirited competition. But I am not invited to be a part of the latest team-building game, Mustache March. I have been relegated to the bench to cheer the real players on.
I have been placed on this bench in the name of Air Force tradition, in the name of a war hero. But, the fact is, this “gauntlet” thrown down by the most senior leader in our Air Force does not bring us together by tradition; it promotes the long-standing “boys club” that continues to drive amazing female airmen out of the military.
I have been in the Air Force for nearly 18 years. I started as an airman basic at age 17. I earned my commission and was a regular officer for five years before putting myself through law school to become a judge advocate general. I have seen everything, from dorm parties to the wild pilot parties in Korea. I have mocked my friends and my husband for years as they grew their hideous mustaches every March. When I was stationed in Korea, they also did “flat-top February” shortly after “no-hair November.” The three events right after each other made for trying, albeit amusing, times.
