1 July 2008
I was rewarding, to me, to read about Lt. General Ann E. Dunwoody, who is on the verge of becoming the Army’s first female 4 star general. This is a remarkable woman who has earned every star in her amazing career. The military is not an easy path for women. Too many “good old boy” attitudes to suit me and I know first hand, having joined the Marines in 1949. I was in the second group of women to have boot camp at Parris Island, SC and we sure took a lot of flack. Fortunately I was athletic and didn’t have too much trouble with the rigorous training but battling verbal abuse was a different story. The hardest part was learning to hold my tongue or I’d be cleaning latrines for talking back or even mumbling under my breath. I survived and it made me a stronger person.
At that time, women weren’t being trained to serve in combat zones but to replace men in jobs here at home so they could be deployed. I think that I missed out on a lot. Lt. General Dunwoody encountered numerous difficulties to reach the top. She comes from a family of West Point graduates, several of whom were also Generals. Her older sister and niece are combat pilots.
Of the 1.4 million people on active duty in the military, 14 percent are women. The number of women at the very top is small but growing. 5 percent of Army generals are women. It’s about time that the leaders in the Army are picking the best qualified, not just men. Opportunities for women in the Army are growing.
Entries (RSS)