It's been a field completely dominated by men in the military, but that has changed now.

Saying she wanted "to do something worthwhile and interesting," 18-year-old McKenzie Clark, a recent graduate of Clackamas High School in Oregon, has become the FIRST ever woman to enlist in the National Guard as a Combat Engineer.  This is not only a first for Oregon, but a first in the United States.

Combat Engineers, always an integral and often dangerous occupation in the military, have taken on a whole new level of importance since the Gulf War.  Combat Engineers are usually tasked with the detection, removal and destruction of IED's that have killed or injured many in the Middle East.

She will be joining the U.S. Army's 12B (Combat Engineer) unit, and will soon leave for her basic training.

According to the U.S. Army website, Combat Engineer's jobs include:

  • Construct fighting positions, fixed/floating bridges, obstacles and defensive positions
  • Place and detonate explosives
  • Conduct operations that include route clearance of obstacles and rivers
  • Prepare and install firing systems for demolition and explosives
  • Detect mines visually or with mine detectors

Wow!  Her teachers, instructors and military personnel who worked with her during her induction have remarked that if anyone can flourish and succeed in this challenging field, it will be McKenzie.

Here's hoping you will do well, and the Pacific Northwest is proud of your leadership in becoming the first woman to ever enlist in this challenging field!

 

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