Author of the memoir Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army, Kayla Williams is a former sergeant and Arabic linguist in a military intelligence unit of the U.S Army’s 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). During her five years of service, Kayla spent a year in Iraq as a translator, at the forefront of the U.S.’s interactions with Iraqis, while simultaneously navigating the daily challenges related to being a woman in today’s Army – in which women account for only 15% of the Army’s total population.
Program Description
In her lectures, Kayla not only discusses her experiences negotiating the changing demands on today’s military, but she addresses the changing role of women in society. She expounds on the notion that as society changes, the military must necessarily change along with it – but, as we’ve seen with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military is often slow to accept and reflect the evolving views of society. And, unfortunately, many of the issues that women face in the military are not exclusive to the military or to war.
In her role as an interpreter, Kayla was able to garner a deeper understanding of the Iraqi culture, and reinforce her view that it is crucial to the health of our society to embrace diversity and uphold the doctrines of basic human rights. Kayla is able to help audiences better understand that their own challenges, navigating a society with ingrained gender roles and cultural preconceptions, are equally valid.
Kayla’s experiences in Iraq, and her struggle to reintegrate into civilian society upon her return home, enable her to relate to many different types of audiences. She vividly describes the sometimes harrowing and heartrending challenges of being both a soldier/veteran and a wife, and how difficult it is sometimes to reconcile the two roles – this audio interview at NotAlone.com is a lucid encapsulation of Kayla’s experience. Also, she is able to relay a first-hand perspective on the questionable treatment of Iraqi prisoners (she witnessed soldiers cross the line between interrogation and torture), the stress of combat, and the effects of physical injury and PTSD — her husband (also a veteran) suffered a serious brain injury sustained in combat.
One of Kayla’s overarching messages is that we MUST take care of our veterans. We all have a role in the war effort, regardless of personal politics, and it is crucial that our returning soldiers get what they need in order to become contributing members of civilian society once again. She recently addressed United States House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on this issue. Her remarks, entitled “The Growing Needs of Women Veterans: Is the VA Ready?” can be found here.
Bio
Kayla is a member of the Board of Directors of Grace After Fire, a senior adviser of VoteVets.org and she regularly blogs at The Huffington Post and VetVoice.com. She has appeared on numerous media outlets including CNN, Fox, NPR and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” and elsewhere, to discuss the challenges faced by women serving in the armed forces and the additional challenges they face re-adjusting to civilian life as veterans. She recently earned a Masters degree in International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East from American University, and continues to work on issues related to U.S. policy and the treatment of veterans.
