FORT HOOD — Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit welcomed its very first female commander.
Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Cain said she is using the first 30 days as the leader to get to know everyone and assess what is working in the unit before she makes any changes.
She tells us how she hopes to be a trailblazer for other women in military leadership. She is joined in a leadership role by Command Sergeant Major Mauvet Rawls who assumed responsibility of the unit as the first female senior enlisted advisor for the WTU.
“I think it is always good to be able to look up to somebody and see, hey, that person is just like me and they’ve been very successful and they’re taking care of soldiers and doing the right thing and I think that that’s always really beneficial," said Cain.
The WTU takes care of wounded, ill or injured soldiers and helps them get back into soldier life or transition into civilian life. She explained why this unit is so unique and important.
"The care and compassion aspect, the ability to take care of soldiers and really focus on those soldiers and make sure whether they're transitioning to civilian life or transitioning back to their unit that they get that individualized care and that concern from the Army," she said.
As for future plans, she says she is still learning about the unit's goals in her new role.
"I really want to continue what Bruce started, which is continue to help the soldiers in transition here on Fort Hood, making sure that I'm not only supporting them, but supporting the goals of the Army and working towards readiness and making sure that units here are ready and that the soldiers are able to go back to their units," she said.
Cain took over the position from outgoing commander Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Gannaway.