NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, Va. — Move over guys, make some room for the ladies!
Just because a role has been previously only held by men, doesn’t mean things can’t or won’t change.
For Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting a female trailblazer keeping the base at NAS Oceana safe.
First, she was in the Navy. Then she was a police officer. Now, Lt. Col. Nicole Doxey is breaking barriers as the first woman to lead Navy security forces at NAS Oceana.
News 3's Pari Cruz sat down with her to find out more about how she got here.
“I like to come in really early. And see all my sailors and civilians before we all part ways and before they go on their assignments,” said Doxey, the precinct commander at NAS Oceana. “Sometimes I'll go out and stay in the gate with them. Just so I can check IDs with them. I never like to forget where I came from.”
Doxey worked her way up through the ranks serving in the Navy, and later as a law enforcement officer. Her family was the catalyst for her decision to become a police officer.
“My family is my biggest motivation," she said.
She started working for free as a public safety aide in her hometown of Rochester, New York, before deciding she wanted to see the world and join the U.S. Navy.
“I'm very big on everyone working together," she said. "So even though I'm a civilian, and I work for the military, I wear both hats. And I'm all about everybody just working in a great environment and getting along. I like to bring that positive spirit.”
Now as the precinct commander at NAS Oceana working on anything from surveillance to anti-terrorism to traffic enforcement, Doxey works hand-in-hand with her security officer for big events, like the air show, where they open the base to hundreds of thousands of spectators.
“A lot was on security," she said. "You have to keep everyone inside the event safe [and] everyone outside the event safe. We have to park 300,000 cars and that is two days of chaos. And we loved it. My SECO and I, we were, you know, hip to hip.”
“It definitely helps as a senior female leader and precinct commander that motivates junior sailors just to know that you can do it, too,” said Lt. Kristen June Golliday, the installation security officer at NAS Oceana. “Knowing that you have the ability, and you can see somebody that represents your goals and your dreams gives you that ability to continue leaning forward even when you get discouraged.”
The example Doxey sets is one she learned from her mother.
“My mother has been such a huge support to all her kids," Doxey said. "She's built a very strong family background. She's always like, since I was little kid, my mom taught me high work ethic, high morale, always worked two jobs."
Those traits Doxey passed on to her own children.
“That's what I wanted to teach my son. My son is actually in the Navy. He is an IT2 in the Navy,” said Doxey. “I went to his graduation. I was able to wear my dress whites and then he graduated and his dress whites. So that was awesome to be able to share that with him.”
She instructs her sailors and officers with the same methods, letting them know that even though they might face adversity, they can push through.
“I walked in your shoes, and I continue to walk in your shoes. So, I'm not coming from a place where someone can say, 'well, you don't understand.' No, I do understand,” she said. “Be willing to fight for it. And just stay motivated. Don't ever let anybody deflate you. Don't ever let a situation deflate you. If you take a step back, you take two steps forward, and you keep going.”
Doxey hopes her story inspires others to pursue their goals despite any challenges they may face.
She says no matter what your background is, you can do anything you set your mind to.
