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diers as male or female. They were all in it together.
“ It wasn’ t comfortable, but we were there and we had a job to do, and a lot of us knew that,” Hansen said.“ We weren’ t there to be comfortable. Our companies did the best they could with what they had to work with.”
Later, conditions improved, and Camp Doha in Kuwait developed into a military encampment. Female soldiers were given separate times for showers and more accommodations were made. She also traveled to Fallujah, Balad and Baghdad, the latter where her company’ s base of operations was located.
A‘ DAY IN THE LIFE’
Hansen spoke with women and even men at the military compound, learning which techniques to use to gain the intelligence the Army needed. In interrogation sessions with men – because of the culture – she had to establish dominance, convince them that she had a brain and that she knew how to use it.
As a female and due to her unique training, Hansen was also tasked with traveling with patrols to outlying villages in Baghdad. Her task was to befriend the women of the village in order to gain information that would help the military locate bad actors.
For the days they traveled out on patrol, she’ d be briefed a few days before a mission. These patrols might mean being gone for a day or two, leaving in a convoy, then getting out and walking several miles to remote villages. She’ d wear full Army gear until the patrol had traveled to within a mile of the village, then she’ d cache her weapon, rucksack, utility belt and other gear and put on a burka( long, loose garment) and a hijab( head covering), leaving her a turtleneck and long pants underneath, along with her boots.
Once at the village, she’ d join the women – usually segregated from the rest of the village – for a meal consisting of a thick bread with goat meat and vegetables in a red, spicy sauce.
“ If one of our male soldiers talked to a female in that culture, it
“ IT WASN’ T COMFORTABLE, BUT WE WERE THERE AND WE HAD A JOB TO DO, AND A LOT OF US KNEW THAT,” HANSEN SAID.“ WE WEREN’ T THERE TO BE COMFORTABLE. OUR COMPANIES DID THE BEST THEY COULD WITH WHAT THEY HAD TO WORK WITH.”
Autumn, right, in Army Basic Combat Training with her best friend, Andrea Hoadley Gardner.
was really frowned upon,” Hansen said.“ So, I went to collect information or to talk to a female villager, and I was able to get information, where my male counterparts couldn’ t. And we got a lot of really good information, a lot of good intel from them.”
Sometimes the women were reluctant to talk, but the relationship had to come first before she could gather information.
“ But once we became comfortable with each other and we established a trust, it was easier for those walls to come down,” Hansen said.“ … It was an experience I’ ll never forget.”
Hansen learned a lot from the cultures of the different villages in which she worked, including various religious sects.
" It gave me an insight and a different perspective as an American,” Hansen said.“ I had a differ- ent perspective, just because of my language training in Russian – I learned about the culture, as well as the language. … When you know about the culture from where they come, you understand their way of thinking. For me, that was really important for my job.”
FROM BATTLING FOR HER COUNTRY TO BATTLING AGAINST CANCER
Hansen received a Purple Heart for her service. To this day, she struggles with shoulder pain since the explosion, and even after multiple surgeries, she endures extensive damage to the brachial plexus, most likely caused by surgery. She also suffers with bouts of post-traumatic stress disorder.
What helps with her PTSD is the friendships she gained while
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