Overcoming Challenges in Army Land Navigation: A Female Soldier’s Story of Resilience and Perseverance
Having done land navigation many times without issue, I went into today’s course without much concern. Land navigation is a fundamental Army skill every soldier must learn. While in the National Guard, opportunities to practice it can be rare, but it’s not a skill you easily forget—unless you avoid it entirely.
As a female soldier, my experience in the military is a bit different than that of most soldiers. According to the Department of Defense:
“In 2021, women made up 17.3% of the active-duty force, totaling 231,741 members, and 21.4% of the National Guard and reserves, at 171,000 members. The year before, women made up 17.2% of the active-duty force and 21.1% of the Guard and reserve. Since 2017, the percentages of women in the active-duty and selected reserve have risen 1.1% and 1.8% respectively” (U.S. Department of Defense, 2022).
In a group of 10, this means about two other females are around for me to relate to. Otherwise, I find myself comparing my skills against those of men, which isn’t entirely fair to myself, as men and women are physically different. When I joined, I wanted to be a female soldier who could support herself, be helpful, volunteer, and be able to back up her fellow soldiers. This drove me to learn and understand land navigation well.
But this time, it took me six hours to find my points. I lost my protractor, stumbled in the middle of the woods, and, like anyone in a moment of frustration, I broke down. I was devastated that I hadn’t found a single point, feeling as if I’d completely lost control. I felt like a failure and was embarrassed to even call myself a soldier.
To provide some context, I was part of a group that volunteered to do the night land navigation course—although we were navigating during the day. The course was short, requiring us to find only three points. In the days leading up to it, I had been helping other soldiers with their land navigation skills and felt confident, which isn’t typical for me. I rarely profess that I am good at something in case I fail. My friends believed in me and expected me to be back at the starting point within two to three hours.
We started at 9:00 a.m., and by 11:00a.m., I lost my protractor. After crying, cursing, and praying, I felt I needed to push through. I returned to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and admitted to my friends that I hadn’t found a single point, despite their high expectations.
Since I was young, I’ve struggled with confidence, so stepping up and saying I was good at land navigation was a big deal for me. I feel an intense pressure to perform well as a female soldier, sensing that while male soldiers might accept my presence, they might not believe I’m truly competent.
Despite these feelings, I had to move on. A soldier can’t dwell on such thoughts in the field—there’s no time. Execution is what matters. I reminded myself that I had the skills, set my feelings aside, and continued. A friend lent me his protractor, and I went back out.
In less than two hours, I found all my points, battling through thick thorns and brush, ruining my boots and ACUs in the process, but I made it back. I was the last soldier to finish, but I proved to myself that I knew what I was doing. Although I was overconfident at first, I realized that breaking down doesn’t mean I’m not capable. It was also reassuring to see my male counterparts looking at me with respect and support rather than doubt.
References:
U.S. Department of Defense. (2022, December 20). Department of Defense releases annual demographics report: Upward trend in number of women serving. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3246268/department-of-defense-releases-annual-demographics-report-upward-trend-in-numbe/