Meet Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the Maryland honoree for Women of the Year
Janeen Birckhead is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year’s honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.
Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead's career path was inspired by her mother, and four words of encouragement, although simple, determined the course of her life: "You can do it."
As a United States military officer serving as Maryland's 31st adjutant general — as well as the only Black woman in the country leading a state and second woman to do so in the state’s history — Birckhead currently holds the top military position in the state after being appointed in 2023.
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"Who knew, at some point, Gov. Wes Moore would appoint me to adjutant general of Maryland? It's a rewarding job. It's a rewarding experience," Birckhead said of her career.
It's an achievement she owes to her mother, the honorable Fannie Mae Ward Birckhead, a community activist and the adjutant general's biggest supporter, who died in 2022.
Birckheard never truly considered a military career.
That was, however, until Birckhead's mother pushed her to apply for an ROTC scholarship at Hampton University in Virginia, a scholarship which ultimately led her on a winding path to the Army National Guard.
"She was always looking for opportunities for me, (telling me) 'You can do it, Janeen. You can do it,'" Birckhead shared.
Having grown up in the small town of Snow Hill, Maryland, the Eastern Shore holds a special place in Birckhead's heart. Now, her heart encompasses not just Snow Hill, but the entire state of Maryland.
"Formal education, community service, public outreach and understanding the importance of work was really big in our household," Birckhead said. "Helping people at home, making sure people have what they need, responding to crises — all of those things are available to us in the National Guard."
According to Birckhead, the Army National Guard — founded in 1636 — is ready and able to respond at a moment's notice to do what needs to be done in an organized, well-disciplined fashion.
"Every day I wake up and (ask), 'What could we do in the National Guard to make it better?' I think that there is something we can do (to make it better) every day," she said of the military force.
For her work, Birckhead has been named USA TODAY's Women of the Year honoree for Maryland.
“As Maryland’s adjutant general, I pledge to serve the people of Maryland with unwavering dedication,” Birckhead said in a release after her confirmation. “I believe in the importance of the National Guard's mission and above all in the selfless service of our soldiers, airmen, federal and state civilian employees, and our volunteers, who represent the best of our great state.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Who paved the way for you? Who did you pave the way for?
My mom — “Mommy" — the honorable Fannie Mae Ward Birckhead, paved the way for me. She was a community leader, community activist and cared for others. Community service is what she really instilled in our family.
Lt. Gen. James F. Fretterd from the Eastern Shore also paved the way for me. He saw a talent in me, and said, “We've got to make sure that she's getting the mentorship she needs.” I will always be grateful to him for that support and for seeing that possibility in me.
Gen. Linda L. Singh, the 29th adjutant general, was also inspirational. She was certainly someone who pushed me and saw an ability in me. I also worked for Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, and by seeing how he operated, understanding the world around him and giving me my first job out of college, he set me on a trajectory.
As far as who I’ve helped pave the way for, I have planted a lot of seeds and continue to nurture those seeds. I plant the seeds, watch them grow, tend to them and pull the weeds out to ensure there are good roots established. We’ll see what comes out on the other end.
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What is your proudest moment? Do you have a lowest?
My proudest moment was the work I established with the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force. It was a game changer: coming up with a model and way of responding to the crisis at the time and doing that in an organized fashion. It was the first Vaccine Equity Task Force of its kind in the nation to be operational. I would also say Gov. Wes Moore selecting me for adjutant general was certainly a proud moment as well. I'm very proud of serving in this role.
I would say my lowest moment was when my mom was killed in February 2022. She loomed large. There weren’t many days that went by that I didn't talk to Mommy. She was my sounding board. She was a big supporter. So, I would say that was my lowest moment, to have to pull myself out of that and continue to work through it. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family — 2 great kids and a husband — who were there during that tough time. But we all miss her.
What is your definition of courage?
My definition of courage changes over time. To me, courage is being able to face adversity. Courage is being resilient. Resilient 6 is my military call sign because I tend to use mindfulness and other techniques in order to bounce back from adversity.
Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself?
Diversity, discipline and dedication. Our organization — the Maryland National Guard — is diverse, disciplined and dedicated. I look for diversity in who I am in order to be a successful individual in life. I can't do things one way. I can't just be with one people. We have to diversify.
We must consider diversity in everything we do, be disciplined enough to make a plan and stick to the plan, and always be dedicated to our organization. You'll find diversity, discipline and dedication in my command philosophy. I call it "D to the Power of Three."
Who did or do you look up to?
I look up to Harriet Tubman, who was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I like to reflect on Harriet Tubman's ability to overcome adversity. Not too long ago, I went by her birthplace. I stood out in the field while the sun was setting and thought about this woman, who’s my height, coming from a house in this cornfield, walking to a creek where she's going to take people to freedom and do that time and time again. She didn't have a GPS. She didn't have a cellphone. Yet, she did it time and time again.
Also, going back to World War II, you have the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight.” The "Six Triple Eight” was recently awarded a gold medal by the president of the United States. They are the only all-female predominantly Black organization military unit deployed during World War II, and they moved hundreds and hundreds of pieces of mail through the European Theater of Operations (ETO). That was a great accomplishment.
I also look up to individuals such as Hon. Christine Wormuth, — who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and appointed as the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army — Worcester County Commissioner Diana Purnell from Berlin, our local leaders such as Mary Beth Carozza as well as retired State Sen. Jim Mathias, who are all great leaders and people that I've known for many years. I look up to them as well, and what they do on the Shore and for the Shore.
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How do you overcome adversity?
I use mindfulness to overcome adversity. I do a 360 every night and ask myself, “Janine, what happened today? Why and how did that happen? Can I make a change? Is there something that I could do better?” I try to do that 360 every night, whether it's in my mind before I lay down or something intentional where I pull out a piece of paper and take notes.
I think it’s important to try to digest and dissect what happened during the day. I try not to get caught up in the moment. So, for me, writing it down and having those techniques allows me to react, or act, or let it go; to find another way to deal with a situation. Sometimes you have to step back and think about it.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to continue to be resilient, and failure or adversity is not a negative thing. It can make you stronger. If there are things that other people can do, you can do it too. Also, stop procrastinating. Don't procrastinate. Those are all things that Mommy told me. Now, those are messages that I would go back and tell my younger self.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Meet the Maryland honoree for USA TODAY's Women of the Year
