This is part of WTOP’s continuing coverage of people making a difference from our community authored by Stephanie Gaines-Bryant. Read more of that coverage.
She was born and raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to “a family who was about service.”
Major Gen. Janeen Birckhead is the 31st Adjutant General for the state of Maryland and is currently the only Black woman in the country to lead a state military.
“I have been fortunate in my positions along the way to really be in good units with good mentors and leaders who have been able to give me some really good guidance about what steps to take next and where to go,” Birckhead told WTOP.
Birckhead leads a force of more than 6,300 soldiers, airmen, and federal and state civilian employees. Her work with the Maryland National Guard has included leading the Vaccine Equity Task Force that aimed to ensure the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
She called their efforts during that time “phenomenal” work she said had never been done before, which included leading 15,000 National Guard members from across the nation following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Birckhead said she’s also proud that Maryland is also known for its cyber operations.
But now, she said her focus is on the future. “How can I make this organization better — to be a world-class organization for those leaders I see coming behind me?”
The married mother of two said the military is about change and doing an evaluation of itself, especially as women are fully accepted into combat roles.
Birckhead said young officers often don’t seek advice because they are afraid or they think they can handle life’s challenges themselves, but she says many people who have come before you are willing to help.
“You are not alone,” she said. “Don’t be afraid.”
Birckhead graduated with honors from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and earned her commission as a distinguished military graduate through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
She said the leadership skills she learned at Hampton’s ROTC program helped shape her into who she is today.
After graduating from Hampton, Birckhead completed a Master of Arts degree in Management at the University of Maryland’s University College and a master’s degree in strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College.
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