During her three-day visit here last week in observance of National Women’s History Month, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Karen S. Rankin, who served as the executive assistant to the secretary of the Air Force, commanded two training wings and directed the Plans and Programs Division at Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command, said she attributed her interest in the military to her aunt.

“My dad’s sister had been in the Navy in World War II. I was a little girl, but I remember seeing her in uniform after the war and hearing her talk about it. I was very impressed that she would have tried something like that,” General Rankin said.

Because of the major demand for manpower during World War II, women were looked at as replacements for men. However, said the general, “they did not expect us to stick around.”

Society played a huge role in the evolution of women’s rights, General Rankin said.

“The biggest thing people need to understand is that society was different then. So the kinds of things I dealt with were common in society at that time, but very much different than the way the country is now,” General Rankin said.

“The expectation for women, in the military or not, was very restrictive. They were just going to get married and have kids. It was just a given that was going to happen, and quite frankly in my own head, I thought that was going to happen, too. I never expected to have a 31-year-career. That’s not what society had conditioned me to expect.”

During her career, the general witnessed the abolishment of separate organizations for women and saw an increase in recruitment and career fields for women. However, she believes the most significant event that helped the advancement of women was Operation Desert Storm.

“Desert Storm was the seminal event that will continue to change things appreciably for women,” General Rankin said. “Most importantly, the services and the country saw that women performed well in a lot of different areas.”

The general spoke about women’s achievements and said, “Don’t be afraid to risk it. Take a risk every now and then.”

Since her retirement in 1998, General Rankin has taken the lead, through continued military and community involvement, to promote emphasis on military issues.

“I don’t think you can be active duty, then retire, and forget that you are a part of a family. I think you have to keep working for that family,” the general said. “As builders of today’s communities, I personally think the single most important thing you can do is to maintain involvement with associates.”