Women in the Military

By Emily Y.

Women have had many “firsts” in the military recently: the first four-star general, the first navy fighter pilot, the first rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard, and more. Women are finally starting to advance to leadership roles in the military.

The first sisters ever to reach the general rank in the Army are named Maria Barrett and Paula Lodi.  Lodi is the current director of healthcare operations for the Army's surgeon general; Barrett is the commanding general of NETCOM (United States Army Network Enterprise Technology Command). She leads the Army's cyber networks. "The fact that both of us would have come from the same family, it almost makes you want to go out and get a lottery ticket," Barrett said in a Newsela article. "Except, this is not a game of chance. It is hard work; it is strong leadership skills."

The sisters joined the Army in 1994. In the 1990s, the Army only let women play roles that weren’t direct-combat. It wasn’t until 2015 that the Department of Defense allowed women and men to play any role.

When Barrett started serving in the military, she originally wanted to stay in the Army for a few more years and then move to Foreign Services. But Barrett loved her military job after leading soldiers in the Persian Gulf War in Iraq, so she decided to keep serving in the military. Lodi wanted to join the Army because she was interested in their leadership, athletic challenges, and the notion of service. 

But it was hard for both of them to be women in a male-dominated military. According to Council on Foreign Relations, just 16 percent of the enlisted forces and 19 percent of the officer corps are women. Even though this is a big increase from a long time ago, more women rising in the ranks is needed. Barett and Lodi are great role models for women. "You are setting an example, whether you recognize it or not," Barrett said.