Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody
Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in military history and also became the first female to lead a major Army command Nov. 14, 2008. Approximately 5 percent of general officers in the Army are women, which includes mobilized Army Reserve and Army National Guard general officers.
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester
During an ambush of her convoy in Iraq, Sgt. Hester and her squad repelled at least 30 insurgents. The actions of Hester and her comrades earned them great praise for their tactics and actions. Hester became the first woman to earn the Silver Star Medal for exceptional valor since World War II.
Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays
Anna Mae Hays received a commission in the Army Nurse Corps in May 1942. Her overseas assignments included service in India, Korea, and Japan. On June 11, 1970, she became the first woman and the first nurse in American military history to attain general officer rank. She received the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Commendation Medal among her awards and commendations.
Sgt. Crystal Johnson
On Sept. 12, 2006 while Sgt. Johnson was on a convoy run south of Baghdad, the Humvee, in which she and three comrades were traveling came under enemy attack and was struck by an Explosively Formed Projectile. The blast killed her passenger and blew the legs off her Iraqi interpreter. Johnson and a gunner pulled the interpreter to safety away from the wreckage. She earned the Purple Heart for burns and shrapnel wounds suffered in the attack. She also received two Army Commendation Medals, one with valor.
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