Leading ladies: Pentagon colonel speaks to Rotary

COEUR d'ALENE — A Pentagon official flew from Washington, D.C., to her hometown of Coeur d'Alene to speak Friday at the Rotary Club of Coeur d’Alene's weekly lunch meeting.

Col. Sarah Brehm, a senior analyst at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, spoke at The Coeur d'Alene Resort to members of the club about the history of women in the military and her own military career.

“People of action, I’m humbled to stand here before you. I remember standing here in this Rotary Club as a child.” Brehm said. “That really left an impact on me and motivated me to lead a life of service.”

Brehm left her hometown to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and since traveled the world as a member of the Air Force. She started her career flying important people throughout the world, from France to Djibouti.

“I knew that I was entering a male-dominated field in the military and the Air Force, but I did not let that deter me,” Brehm said. “I loved my time at the Air Force Academy. "I got to do a lot of really cool things, like jump out of airplanes, kill rabbits with sticks. The early exposures I had as a cadet at the academy showed me that women can excel at all levels in the military.”

Brehm smiled at her family during her presentation, including mother and Rotary member Sue Thilo.

“Sarah loves her career of service to her nation," Thilo said, introducing her daughter to the club.

Brehm met her husband, Lt. Colonel Paul Brehm, at the academy. They have two children who have traveled with them to three locations within three school grades.

The military has taken care of Brehm’s family, she said, when for most of their 15 years of service they’ve shared location assignments, keeping their family together. Brehm is not sure she’d continue to re-enlist if she couldn’t stay with her family. She believes that logistical courtesy allows more women to serve.

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Truman signing the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, allowing women to serve as active members of the military. Since then, women have integrated through higher ranks or expanded jobs throughout the military.

“I’ve had many opportunities to lead in the Air Force,” Brehm said. “Most of those are through the trailblazing efforts of women and those who have come before me. It’s a privilege to have learned and grown from the people who have come before me and be able to share my story.”

Brehm described landing military planes on 200 feet of grassy fields with low fuel in pitch darkness. She’s had to use night-vision goggles to see landing strips without runway lights, she said, and watched giraffes wander across gravel runways.

But, despite the pressures and because of the exceptionalism of what she’s been able to do, she still loves her job.

“The mission is extremely rewarding,” Brehm said. “I’ve gotten to go places I never thought I would go and see places I never thought I would see. I will serve as long as I continue enjoying it.”

Brehm signed up for five more years of service. She will serve the next two years as senior analyst in cost assessment and program evaluation at the Pentagon, but after that she doesn’t know where the military will take her.

“I want to say that the theme I had is that women can do it. We can fly just like anybody else. We can perform the mission.” Brehm said. “We’re quite capable of performing any mission.”