[R]etired Col. Rosanne Greco formally announced her candidacy to become Vermont’s next adjutant general Tuesday morning in a brief press conference in which she promised reform of the organization and continued opposition to its next major mission.
Greco’s candidacy — reported Friday by VTDigger — means a woman will now be part of a race in which some lawmakers have emphasized the need to change a culture where women have been routinely undervalued, harassed and in some cases abused.
“In order to change the culture, you need somebody from outside the culture,” said Ben Cohen, the Ben & Jerry’s co-founder who along with Greco has been a leading critic of plans to base F-35 fighter jets on Vermont’s military base just outside Burlington.
“I’ve worked with Col. Rosanne Greco, and I can assure you that I have never worked with anybody who is more hard working, more dedicated, more ethical, or with more attention to detail than Col. Rosanne Greco,” Cohen added.
Greco, a high-profile retired female Air Force colonel best known for fighting against the deployment of the F-35, said she is running for the top Guard position because of her concern for how women in the Guard are treated, her concern that nuclear arms will be stored at Burlington International Airport, and to correct the power imbalance between the Army and Air Guard units.
Greco praised VTDigger for publishing a series of articles uncovering a “good old boys” culture that often sexualizes women and trivializes misconduct. She said reading the stories of the women who came forward made her decide to run for adjutant general.
“I could not stay silent after reading the VTDigger articles about the treatment of women about the lack of accountability for inappropriate, unprofessional and unethical behavior,” Greco said. “I believe the senior leadership of the Guard needs to regain the trust of its members.”
Greco enters the field as one of four candidates for the position and the only woman.
In the first open election for Vermont adjutant general in six years, the expose on the culture of sexism and abuse of power has been a major theme that candidates have been forced to address with lawmakers.
The other three candidates Col. Greg Knight, retired Brig. Gen. David Baczewski and retired Lt. Col. David Graham have been working the halls of the Statehouse making their case to lawmakers why they bring the right mix of military strategy acumen and the appetite to reform the culture of the Guard.
The candidates are seeking to replace Adjutant General Steven Cray, who decided against seeking another term. Lawmakers are expected to vote on Feb. 21. Vermont is the only state in the country where the Legislature and not the governor selects the head of the state National Guard.
The House Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs is holding a joint hearing with Senate Government Operations to hear from the four candidates for adjutant general Tuesday afternoon.
Greco, who said she faced sexual discrimination and harassment throughout her military career, said if she were to become adjutant general she would donate her salary to the women and the whistleblowers who came forward to speak about their experiences in the Guard.
“In a military organization, the senior commander sets the tone and the culture for that organization. In the Guard, that is the Adjutant General,” Greco said.
In a recent meeting with the Women’s Caucus of the Vermont Legislature, Greco laid out a case for female leadership that previewed her decision to run.
If elected, Greco would be the second female adjutant general in Vermont’s history. In 1997, Lt. Col. Martha Rainville was elected over Maj. Gen. Don Edwards to become the first female adjutant general in the history of Vermont and the U.S.
Greco said her gender is not a good enough reason to vote for her, but said that she and other high ranked military women have a unique perspective on the issues women face in these institutions and are well-placed to change the culture.
“If you found a senior-ranking woman, she would probably be the most experienced person to be in that position,” Greco said. “If you don’t pick me, find another senior female woman to consider.”
