Still pushing the 'flywheel,' building a legacy

MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. -- We will continue to push the 'flywheel' in support of legacy for the month of March.

Our Legacy Creed: My distinctive contribution -- it reflects my commitment to leaving the Air National Guard better each day because I am here. I will leave a tradition of honor and a legacy of valor! Today, I will "earn this."

March is National Women's History Month. There are many women in our country who have made history that later became a legacy for other women to follow. Their legacy will continue as we build upon these historical events:

* In 1853, Antoinette Blackwell becomes the first American woman to be ordained a minister in a recognized denomination (Congregational).
* In 1872, Victoria Claflin Woodhull becomes the first woman presidential candidate in the United States.
* In 1873, Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to be admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earns her B.S. degree. She becomes the
first female professional chemist in the U.S.
* In 1885 Sarah E. Goode becomes the first African-American woman to receive a patent, for a bed that folded up into a cabinet. Goode, who owned a
furniture store in Chicago, intended the bed to be used in apartments.
* In 1916 Jeannette Rankin, of Montana, is the first woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
* In 1922 Rebecca Felton, of Georgia, is appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill a temporary vacancy. The first woman senator, she serves for only two days.
* In 1926 American Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
* In 1932 Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, traveling from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Ireland in approximately 15 hours.
* In 1953 Jerrie Cobb is the first woman in the U.S. to undergo astronaut testing. NASA, however, cancels the women's program in 1963. It is not until 1983 that an American woman gets sent into space.
* In 1969 Shirley Chisholm, of New York, becomes the first African-American woman in Congress. Her motto is, "Unbought and unbossed." She served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years.
* In 1981 Sandra Day O'Connor is appointed by President Reagan to the Supreme Court, making her its first woman justice.
* In 1983 Dr. Sally K. Ride becomes the first American woman to be sent into space.
* In 2008, Hillary Clinton wins the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to win a presidential primary contest. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, becomes the first woman to run for vice president on the Republican ticket.

As we continue to push the flywheel and "raise the bar" that the Air National Guard Office of Cultural Leadership and Development has set for us, continue the Flywheel Challenge:
*My Legacy... I stand on the shoulders of those who have come before me -- Each day, do I remind myself to be worthy of the sacrifice and to "Earn This!"?

* Am I selfless in my devotion to our Country and the mission of the Air National Guard?

* In leaving a legacy, you must consider where you have been, where you are now and where you are going. Where are you on your journey from success to significance on your quest to leave a lasting legacy?