#HeForShe Interview with Sgt Fred Green | Staff Support Supervisor | 32 Regiment Royal Artillery (The Wessex Gunners) | British Army

Tell us a bit about yourself, background, and your current role?

I’m serving in the Armed forces and have done so for 15 years. I started in Engineering but moved to the AGC(SPS) in 2017. I currently work within the Discipline and HR sphere, but have spent time as an instructor in various roles under both Cap-badges.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

I do, mostly when procrastinating with a coffee, but in recent years have sat and really nailed down a set of 3 possible ‘course of actions’ in which way I think my Career could go. I try and sit with my Chain Of Command quarterly and have informal discussions about various routes that have opened or are available.

What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?

A solid and honest peer group. My successes may not have happened without the peer support and friendships I’ve encountered in my career. Even just bouncing ideas off each other and acting as a sounding board for issues, the group has been invaluable.

Have you faced any challenges along the way?

Many, some self-inflicted, some external influence. The biggest one would probably be old school mentality and people’s reluctance to change. This coupled with my physical bearing and my reluctance to just accept poor decisions or anything of a detrimental nature has led to some frictions over the years.

What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?

I’m striving to be an instructor at a world-renowned academy currently so my major focus is set within this goal. But for future ambitions, I’m looking to start a Degree in Law when I settle on a University.

What inspires you to be a male ally to Women Empowering Defence?

My role, My Cap Badge and Branch and my belief of being a decent and genuine person lent itself naturally to support WED. I see and work with so many inspiring and powerful women in my day-to-day work, I converse regularly with phenomenal women almost daily, that supporting and being an ally to WED was a no brainer. More can be and should be done within all industries to highlight the work conducted by these ladies, and publicising WED is just a small step I can help do this at my level.

How do you think you can support WED as a male ally?

Publicising and Promoting the network to all who will listen, being a signpost and conduit for positive engagement. As well as defending those who are taking heat and being trolled or bullied. I’m not a leader in Industry, I’m not a CEO of a corporation, however work at all levels is required for change, and if I can change the perspective of even 1 person, then I’ve done it right.

What are some actionable steps men can take to be better allies in the workplace?

Be more mindful of Dress, Bearing and Attitude. Proximity and intrusion to their personal space should be monitored, how you sit facing someone to how you engage with them when striking a conversation. The language you use can be meant without offence however context plays a huge part. Treating everyone as you’d wish to be treated would be the bottom line. Many ladies are SMEs in their field and the interaction with them should be dealt with, with the same respect and attentive nature as with the male counterparts. And finally, promotion and engagement to seminars, networking groups, and listening to what is/isn’t being said. Never use physical bearing or derogatory slurs to undermine someone’s academic or professional prowess.