Front & Center

Lionesses on the prowl in Iraq
When Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers first struck up a conversation about the whispers of women in combat, little did they know they would collaborate on a documentary film. The duo produced and directed the film, “Lioness,” the story of the first group of female Army support soldiers in direct ground combat.

Q: What is the Lioness Program?
Meg: When the military establishes a presence in urban and civilian areas in Iraq, female soldiers (Lionesses) accompany all-male units to ease tension and search for intelligence among women and children.

Q: Why did you want to do the film?
Daria: We wanted people to get to know these women and understand what they’ve been through and the sacrifices they’ve made.

Working with them was an eye-opening experience. It was amazing to see how they came together to do what they had to do.

Meg: We’re also trying to get their contribution recognized and help them get care and services when they return home.
There’s a need for more women counselors with combat experience to help female veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s difficult when you’re the only woman in an all-male combat support group.

Q: How did you make this film happen?
Meg: We followed five Lionesses for a year learning what they had experienced during their year-long tour in Iraq and how they were coping back home. We also worked with the Army to get information and film footage from Iraq.

Q: What leadership qualities do these women share?
Meg: There’s a real commitment to mentoring, especially among the senior officers. They balance exerting their authority with a certain kind of empathy and understanding.

For all the women, it’s about getting the job done and taking responsibility for their actions. It’s rare for young people in their early 20s with very little life experience to do that. Their focus was not on themselves but on serving their country and making a difference.

Daria: Although their backgrounds, educations, and economic conditions were very diverse, they all shared the same unwavering commitment to the idea of service. They worked as a team to get their mission accomplished.

Whatever they do in the future, they’ll succeed because they have this steely determination to do what needs to be done.

Q: What has the film done for the Lionesses?
Daria: It provides a sense of affirmation, even for those not in the film. They’re not marginalized anymore, they’re more than just a footnote in history. That’s been a powerful and overwhelming response and we’re touched by it.

Watch for the film “Lioness” to be aired on the PBS channel in November 2008.

The stars of “Lioness”

Specialist Shannon Morgan, Mechanic – Shannon journeyed from an innocent Arkansas “country girl” who never expected to be sent into ground combat to a  soldier who experienced the darkest side of war. She is now caring for her elderly parents in Arkansas.

Specialist Rebecca Nava, Supply Clerk – A feisty New Yorker of Puerto Rican heritage, Rebecca has played many roles…female combat vet whose younger sister served in the military, wife of a soldier serving in Iraq, and mother of a young daughter. Now living in Texas, she plans to become a kindergarten teacher.

Major Kate Pendry Guttormsen, Company Commander – A West Point graduate and the highest ranking female in the battalion, Kate clearly understands the “grey zone” of what the Lionesses were trained for and what they were called upon to do. She currently is on active duty in Hawaii.

Captain Anastasia Breslow, Signal – Half Chinese, half Russian, and thoroughly all-American, she followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the military. Her diary readings document the hidden history of the Lioness Program. She is on active duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Staff Sergeant Ranie Ruthig, Mechanic – Ranie is a tough mid-western girl, ace mechanic, respected NCO, and mother. She was often requested by the Marines for the toughest missions. Today she serves in the national guard and is a civilian mechanic at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Today, women make up about 14% of the 1.4 million people on active duty in the U.S. military.

For your own DVD of “Lioness,” go to www.lionessthefilm.com.

If you want to help female veterans, make a tax-deductible donation to the RNA Foundation. Send checks to: 230 16th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201.