The WIN project began in the residence of CNO and Mrs. Linda Gilday.  Gilday wanted to recognize women trailblazers who made their mark in history.  The original WIN project had two purposes: to honor those ‘first’ women – who served with honor, humility, fortitude, and sacrifice both in uniform and in the civilian ranks; and to inspire men and women alike. 

 
Approximately 30 women, enlisted and officers, from ten different commands attended the first WIN-Hampton Roads event.
 
Capt. Christina Hicks, commanding officer of NCDOC, kicked off the event and welcomed the women.
 
“What an amazing turn out! Thank you all for coming to our very first WIN event in Hampton Roads. WIN began in Mrs. Gilday’s home to honor women in the Navy who paved the way for us to lead and to inspire each other as we share our personal stories behind the bio.  We wanted to bring that here to Hampton Roads, give us an opportunity to get together in a social setting – outside the workplace – get to know each other, uplift one another, and find mentors," said Hicks in her opening remarks. "There’s the saying, ‘What do you do when you get to the top?  You reach back and help lift others up.’ That is the purpose and intent of why we are gathered tonight.”
 
Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), was the guest speaker for the evening.
 
“Tonight, I want to share some thoughts on what’s going on underneath the surface. Specifically, three things that contributed to my success or challenges. First, none of us in uniform can do what we do without the support of our partners, family, and / or village," said Aeschbach.  "For me, it is my husband, who was an artillery officer in the Marine Corps. We both made the decision together to invest in my career because it was very difficult to find the nexus between our two careers … and the Navy had better locations.”
 
"He was ‘all in’ to running the baby bootcamp!  And although I would have run it differently than he did, at the end of the day, trust between you and your spouse means accepting that you can’t enforce your expectations on your partner. That trust-negotiation piece is very important.”
 
Several women brought their babies to the event. Turning to the pressure of balancing motherhood and a career in the Navy, Aeschbach spoke to some of her personal experiences and shared her experience with post-partum depression and peri-menopause, emphasizing that we don’t talk enough about women’s health issues.  She encouraged everyone to actively engage their healthcare providers.  For those who need treatment, she reinforced that there is no negative impact on retaining a security clearance.
 
 
Aeschbach took questions from the audience. Questions from the group focused on micro-aggressions in the workplace, biases based on being a career military officer and being a woman, retention of women in the Navy, dual-military couple challenges, and mom-guilt.
 
WIN-Hampton Roads will host social events quarterly.
 
NCDOC is the Navy’s Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP), whose mission is to execute defensive cyberspace operations and enable global power projection through proactive network defense. NCDOC reports operationally to U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet as Commander, Task Force 1020. U.S. 10th Fleet is the operational arm of Fleet Cyber Command and executes its mission through a task force structure similar to other warfare commanders. For more news and information from NCDOC visit https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/ncdoc/ and follow us on Twitter @NCDOC_PAO or Facebook @NavyCyberWarriors.