Breaking Barriers: A Latina Colonel’s Fight Through Sexism, War, and the U.S. Military System | Lisa Carrington

00:00 – Introduction to Col. Lisa Carrington
Setting the stage: Latina trailblazer, combat veteran, and retired Air Force Colonel.

02:10 – Joining the military in 1980
What it meant to enter a male-dominated system with almost no women in leadership.

04:05 – First assignment: an all-male fighter squadron
Walking into a culture filled with harassment, discrimination, and zero support systems.

07:15 – The sexual assault she buried for decades
How it happened, why she stayed silent, and the emotional cost of pretending it didn’t exist.

12:40 – Military culture in the 80s: sexism normalized
Centerfolds on the walls, “good old boys” culture, and no channels for reporting abuse.

16:20 – Moving every 1–2 years as a commander
How command-track officers are uprooted constantly and how it affected her son.

20:00 – Her son’s struggle with friendships
The emotional damage of always leaving just as he formed connections.

23:10 – Pressure as a Latina woman
Why she felt she had to prove herself twice as hard — and why “coasting” wasn’t an option.

27:30 – Combat deployment: the psychological cost
Seeing death, facing threats daily, and the transition from warzone to everyday life.

31:40 – Coming home angry at the American public
The disconnect between people in combat and civilians living normal, unaware lives.

35:55 – Coping the wrong way
Her honest admission of turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms after deployment.

40:10 – Leadership lessons learned the hard way
What true leadership means in a broken system — and what she would tell young officers today.

46:00 – Why she started speaking publicly in 2020
The moment she decided to tell the truth and help others find their voice.

50:20 – Closing reflections
Resilience, identity, motherhood, and the cost of being a barrier-breaker.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.