Raquel DiDomenico (Steckman) was the first female combat engineer senior sergeant in the United States Army appointed to a sapper company as a first sergeant."Blowing down barriers: Female first sergeant takes charge of sapper company", Army Times"First Sgt. Raquel Steckman is the first woman in the Army appointed to a combat engineer company as a first sergeant, now with the 374th Engineer Company (Sapper)", Alamy
She began her career in the US Army Reserve 652 Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge)."Army Reserve makes it official in Hammond", Hudson Star Observer From 2009 to 2010, she served in Baghdad, Iraq as an operations sergeant with the 401 Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge)."Raquel DiDomenico (1)", LinkedIn
On Jan. 9, 2015, 1st Sgt. Raquel Steckman reported as the new first sergeant of the 374th Engineer Company in Concord, California, becoming the first female combat engineer senior sergeant 12Z qualified to hold leadership position in a Sapper unit."Sapper 1st sgt. represents a first for combat engineers" Army Times
Until 2018, DiDomenico served as Battle Staff Instructor and Operations Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge at the NCO Academy, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin."Raquel DiDomenico (2)", LinkedIn
In early 2018, DiDomenico was selected for promotion to E9 and assumed the role of Engineer School Reserve Component Sergeant Major at Fort Leonard Wood, and attended the non-resident Sergeants Major Academy.
During a ceremony at Fort McCoy on July 1, 2021, DiDomenico replaced Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha as the garrison Command Sergeant Major.Defense Visual Information Distribution ServiceArmy.mil A Command Sergeant Major (CSM) is the most senior enlisted member of a color-bearing Army unit. The CSM is appointed to serve as a spokesman to address the issues of all soldiers, from enlisted to officers, from warrant officers and lieutenants to the Army's highest positions.Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
Her military education includes Distributed Learning Course (DLC) Level 6, Sergeants Major Course, Joint Engineer Operations Course, Foundation Training Developer, Intermediate Facilitation Skills, Foundation Instructor Facilitator, Army Training Requirements and Resource System (ATRRS) Operator, Faculty Development Program, Master Leader Course, Master Resilience Trainer, Operations Security (OPSEC) Level 2, Casualty Assistance & Notification, Structured Self Development (SSD) Level 4 (12B Senior Leader Course), 12C Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course (BNCOC), Common Core BNCOC, Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC), Battle Staff, Company Trainer Course, Reserve Component Mobilization Planner, Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Certifying Official, Voting Assistance Officer, Mail Manager, SINCGARS, Combat Lifesaver, Duty Appointed Retention NCO, and One Station Unit Training (OSUT) Bridge Crewmember.
On May 15, 2023, she sent an email saying simply there would be a "Formal military retirement ceremony 31 May 2023 at 1330 in the Engineer Regimental Room on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri... Please do NOT feel obligated to attend any of this. It is a short ceremony; nothing flashy. I just want you to know that you are important to me and invited.
Respectfully, RAQUEL A. DIDOMENICO CSM, USA Command Sergeant Major
U.S. Army Garrison Fort McCoy, Wisconsin" images
Interviews
"Behind the Triad Leadership Podcast - CSM Raquel DiDomenico", US DoD "Fort McCoy Garrison CSM discusses ease of using Commissary CLICK2GO online ordering", US DoD "Womens History Month Feature Command Sergeant Major CSM Raque DiDomenico", Faith, Health, Home
Acting
"2022 Holiday Message from the Fort McCoy Garrison Command Team - CSM Raquel DiDomenico", U.S. Army video by Greg Mason, Fort McCoy Multi-Media Visual Information
References
Further reading
"First Sgt. Raquel Steckman is the 1st woman in the #Army appointed to a combat engineer company as a first sergeant", Twitter "1sg raquel steckman is the first female combat engineer senior sgt in the army appointed to a sapper company as a 1sg", Scoopnest "Concord Army Reserve Unit First to Be Headed by a Woman", Concord Patch "The Argument For Women In Combat Should Be About Mission Effectiveness", Task & Purpose "Fort Bragg general salutes Women’s History Month", Paraglide "The U.S. Army is changing ... for the better", Daily Kos "BARRIER BROKEN WITH COMBAT ENGINEER COMPANY’S FEMALE 1ST SERGEANT", NCO Journal "U.S. Army Reserve (@USArmyReserve) In 2014, Command Sgt. Major...", Twitter.com