Mother and officer on NATO's eastern flank: the story of Captain Diana Panait of the Military Police

Diana Panait's original dream was to fly, but fate gave her a mission at least as important and placed her at the head of the logistics of an elite structure. In an interview for “Adevărul”, the captain of the Military Police talks about rigor, the mission of being a mother under a military oath and how Romania's security is seen through the eyes of an officer on NATO's eastern flank.

Diana Panait has an essential role in the Military Police. PHOTO: Personal archive / Diana Panait

The truth: You are a captain in the 265th Military Police Battalion and you have a serious career. How did your journey into the military world begin, was it a childhood dream or a later challenge?

Diana Panait: Until the 8th grade, I attended the school in my hometown, Valea-Lungă, where I had dedicated, involved teachers and professors, whose vocation inspired my love of learning and knowledge, and to whom I thank them! And since we were talking about vocation, after this stage I opted for a high school with a vocational profile, following the courses of the “Mihai Viteazul” National Military College in Alba Iulia. At the end of it, the military career was, with certainty, the only option for continuing my studies, and the road led me to the Academy of the Land Forces.

It was the option and the challenge that appeared towards the end of secondary school studies, a challenge that turned into a dream and goal. It was initiated by a teenager's search for something more than a high school, for that place where knowledge is combined with dedication, active involvement and vocation, and defined by a presentation of the educational offer of the “Mihai Viteazul” Military High School. It's a journey, not easy, but which, no matter how many times it starts, it would be the same.

Why did he choose the Military Police?

Why did you choose the Military Police, a structure recognized for rigor, strict discipline and special interventions?

From the category of dreams, my first dream, clearly outlined in terms of the military environment, was defined at the end of high school and is related to aviation, but certain limitations given by my visual acuity changed the route of my journey and once admitted to the Academy of the Land Forces, I decided to continue with the choice of the new and the challenge, the year in which the choice of weapon and military specialization had to be made by me, being the first year in which the Military Police was among the options.

Many consider the Military Police a tough environment. Have you ever felt the need to prove more than your male colleagues in order to be accepted and respected?

In its entirety, the military environment is one characterized by rigor, seriousness, courage and devotion, and yes, sometimes toughness, but toughness as the definition of sustained physical effort, of high and clearly defined standards and objectives. Having said that, I felt from the beginning that I had to prove myself more, I understood that training and becoming a professional happens every day, that dedication and involvement bring the necessary and desired results. I started my career as an officer as a platoon commander of the Military Police in Timișoara, together with an exceptional team, with vast professional experiences both nationally and internationally, together with whom I had the chance to feel the appreciation of activities well carried out, not as a military woman, but as a military man. The military profession is one in which the standards and objectives are clearly defined, both in terms of activity and in terms of the process of accessing careers and holding positions, and gender is not on the list of criteria according to which personnel are evaluated. Even more than that, I want to thank all the male colleagues with whom I have collaborated throughout my career and who have supported me in carrying out my tasks.

An essential role

What exactly does your role entail within the 265th Battalion? What does a typical workday look like, if there is such a thing in the military?

Currently, within the 265th Military Police Battalion, I fulfill the duties of the head of logistics, a complex, challenging and satisfying field. It depends a lot on the perspective, field and knowledge by which we define “ordinary”, but answering in my capacity as a military man, yes, there is ordinary, or rather days with current activities specific to the unit. Thus, on a typical day we carry out training, exercises, administrative tasks and staff activities in support of the two previously specified, and not in small numbers.

What is the biggest physical or mental challenge you encounter in your missions? Conversely, what do you find most “easy” or natural about what you do?

I will start with what is natural, easy and natural, namely all activities specific to the field of military police and their support. Conversely, the most physically and emotionally difficult times are those when all of the above take up most of our time and energy, to the detriment of the rest of our families.

How is the atmosphere in the unit? Do you still have colleagues and how do you see the evolution of the female presence in the Military Police in recent years?

I start with the word “family”, because in addition to the classic values ​​that define the military environment, I personally find, cultivate and appreciate in the collective where I work many of the values ​​and symbols of this small institution, basic and essential to society. The collective of the 265th Military Police Battalion is young, motivated and determined, in which a considerable part is represented by military women. The increasing female presence in the ranks of the military police is welcome, they occupy a wide range of functions within our structure, and the consistency, determination and organization that genetically define femininity are essential elements of the specifics of this weapon.

Advice for young women who want a military career

What would you say to young women who are considering a military career but fear it's “too hard for a woman”? Do you recommend them this way?

Any young woman who finds herself in the values ​​of the Romanian Army can certainly have the courage to take this step. It takes work, if for example physical activity or sports are not currently on the list of priorities, but this should not scare us, more than that it can be a motivating element considering the importance of an active life with healthy principles as a whole. Yes, there is femininity, yes, there is appreciation, yes, there is the opportunity to evolve and perform. It is a beautiful profession, but where vocation, patriotism and devotion must be present.

What missions does the Military Police have beyond external ones? Have you participated in foreign missions, from what I know the 265th Battalion has a rich history in the theaters of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans?

The military police perform a wide range of missions in support of military actions, both in peacetime and in crisis or war situations, which include activities from the spectrum of ensuring maneuver and mobility, ensuring security and establishing and maintaining order and discipline. Up to this point in my career I have not participated in external missions, choosing my most important mission, from a woman's perspective, that of a mother. The battalion of which I am now a part really has a rich history in terms of presence in the theaters of operations and I deeply appreciate all my colleagues who have served the Romanian Army and outside the national territory. It is an activity that without a doubt defines and perfects military training and professional development, which in the future, if the situation dictates, I will honor it with the necessary involvement and presence.

Safety starts with each of us

Looking at what is happening in Ukraine and the Middle East, how does a military police officer analyze these threats?

Military police officers are constantly prepared to carry out specific missions, based on the analyses, decisions and orders of the structures with attributions in these fields.

Most importantly for those at home: given our position on the eastern flank and everything you see inside the system, should we feel safe in Romania at this point?

I can say, first of all, that the safety we want to feel every day inside our country can also be defined by many actions that can be taken by each of us as a citizen, and this should be our first indicator: our own deeds. As for the way in which I can define safety from my perspective as a soldier, I repeat the fact that each of us is prepared and fulfills his duties in accordance with the oath of allegiance taken at the time of entering the family of the Romanian Army. Yes, I still feel safe.

When you walk out the gate of the facility, what hobbies do you have, what hobbies do you have and how do you like to spend your free time?

I remembered my most important mission as a woman, that of a mother and the best and most pleasant way to enjoy my free time is in the presence of my family, my son to whom I thank. Nature walks and hikes, reading and cooking with him are always memorable adventures and delights.