An accomplished soldier who once won the “Soldier of the Year” award for her leadership and achievements kept a big secret throughout her military career.
Karen Holmes enlisted in the Maryland Defense Forces in 2011 as a corporal and, over the next five years, rose through the ranks and earned coveted awards.
But for almost half a decade, Holmes kept quiet about her big secret: she was transgender.
At the time he joined the Force, the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy had just been repealed, so he was worried about how others would take the truth.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, adopted in 1994 under the Clinton administration, prohibited LGBTQ soldiers from openly expressing their identities to their comrades, and the penalty for doing so could be release.
An accomplished service member who once won the ‘Soldier of the Year’ award for her leadership and achievements kept a big secret throughout her military career.
Karen Holmes enlisted in the Maryland Defense Forces in 2011 as a corporal and, over the next five years, rose through the ranks and earned coveted awards.
Holmes, who joined the force just two months after the policy was repealed, said “the transition period in the years that followed while I served… were challenging.”
At the time, she didn’t know how other soldiers would react to her transgender identity and feared they would find out.
“I just didn’t know what the response was going to be,” he said. WTOP.
“I kept it very secret.”
In 2001, Holmes began working for Americorps, a government agency that provides volunteer service to people in difficult situations across the country.
Through her impressive work with the organization, she caught the attention of the Maryland State Defense Force, who recruited her to serve in a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) rodeo.
However, early in the onboarding process, Holmes feared that recruiters would discover that she was transgender.
“After I transitioned, having to hide who I was, I was afraid someone would see me,” she told WTOP.
But for nearly half a decade, Holmes remained silent about her big secret: she was transgender.
‘What if someone knew I was transgender?’
Fortunately, she was able to obtain a physical examination from her personal physician and present her passport, which contained the name she had changed since birth.
After Harris was accepted by the state force, she began her career as a modest corporal, but soon rose through the ranks and attracted the admiration of other service members, who had no idea she was transgender.
During his time in the organization, he joined the Color Guard team and led several teams, whose members responded to his commands.
Holmes’ outstanding performance then caught the attention of the Maryland State Guard Association, which named her Noncommissioned Officer Soldier of the Year.
In 2013, Holmes gained national recognition and was honored by the United States State Guard Association as “Trooper of the Year.”
At the time of the award presentation, Brigadier General Brian R. Kelm said, “Sergeant Holmes perseveres despite all obstacles in her effort to complete a mission. She is very deserving of this honor and continues to impress us all.” .
“What if someone knew I was transgender?” Holmes asked.
Holmes said her success motivated many female soldiers to reach out to her and thank her for representing them on a national stage.
‘The response I heard at both awards was that the female soldiers came up to me and said, “Good job, you’re doing it for us,” and I said to myself, “Yes,” because that’s on my mind. , my heart and my spirit.’
She continued: “But I also do it for the transgender community, which I can’t talk about because they didn’t want us there.”
When Holmes retired from the Force in 2017, he was a staff sergeant.
During a television interview with the Baltimore affiliate ABC-TV, Holmes spoke about transgender people serving in the military, at which point everyone under her command learned that she was transgender.
In 2013, Holmes received national recognition and was honored by the United States State Guard Association as “Soldier of the Year.”
Holmes said the show’s producers have reached out to the National Guard, which is supported by the Maryland Defense Force, for comment.
She said her fellow soldiers responded only with support.
Holmes added: “We always support each other. He’s the one you’d consider a battle buddy, you’ve got someone there who’s going to watch your back.
After retiring from the Force, Holmes joined the Veterans Reserve Corps, where he serves as a Chief Warrant Officer.
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