President nominates woman Army general for fourth star

  • Published
  • By John J. Kruzel
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  President Bush nominated Army Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody for promotion June 23, which, pending Senate approval, would make her the first woman to be a four-star officer in U.S. history. 

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced the president's nomination of General Dunwoody as the commander of Army Materiel Command at Fort Belvoir, Va., in a news release published June 23 by the Defense Department.

General Dunwoody, who has served in several command positions since her Army commission in 1975, including her current role as the Army's deputy chief of staff for logistics, is one of five women now fulfilling three-star flag officer duties.

In 1970, Col. Anna Mae Hays blazed the trail when she became chief of the Army Nurse Corps, achieving the highest rank -- brigadier general -- of any woman servicemember at the time. But as General Dunwoody's pending promotion underscores, the role of women in the U.S. military has expanded significantly since then.

Fifty-seven active-duty women and 47 female reservists wear stars on their shoulders in the armed forces. Moreover, roughly 194,000 women make up 14 percent of all active-duty forces. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 193,400 women have deployed in support of U.S. operations.

The casualty figures of current conflicts provide a thumbnail sketch of a force structure that increasingly depends on women in combat zones. Ninety-seven women have died in Iraq, and 585 others have suffered injuries there, according to Defense Department statistics.

If confirmed by the Senate, General Dunwoody would command the teams of soldiers, civilians and contractors responsible for providing materiel readiness and development, new technology, acquisition support and logistics.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page