Army Names First Female 4-Star General

Ann Dunwoody is a 33-year veteran of the military
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 14, 2008 1:05 PM CST
Army Names First Female 4-Star General
Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, right, greets Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody after ceremony at the Pentagon, Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, where Dunwoody was promoted to a four-star General.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

A 33-year Army veteran today became the first woman in US history to be named a four-star general, CNN reports. Ann Dunwoody, 55, will oversee Army Materiel Command, which outfits and equips soldiers. "The Army nurtured me and mentored me, and today the Army offers me the chance to return the favor," she said.

"There is no one more suprised than I," said Dunwoody, who initially planned on a two-year Army stint, then a career as a gym teacher. Instead, "she is recognized as one of the foremost military logisticians in her generation," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. She will oversee 133,000 personnel around the world.
(More Army general stories.)

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