POWERFUL WOMEN

Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

ANN E. DUNWOODY


Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody (born January 14, 1953) is a retired general of the United States Army. She is the first woman in U.S. military and uniformed service history to achieve a four-star officer rank, receiving her fourth star on November 14, 2008.

In 2005 Dunwoody became the Army's top-ranking female when she received the promotion to lieutenant general (three stars) and became the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4 (logistics). She was nominated as Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command, by President George W. Bush on June 23, 2008, and confirmed by the Senate one month later. She served in that capacity until August 7, 2012, and retired from the Army on August 15, 2012.

In 1975, Dunwoody graduated from State University of New York College at Cortland with a degree in physical education—Cortland is a Top Ten school in that field—and was direct commissioned into the Women's Army Corps. In an interview with the Military Logistics Forum, Dunwoody explained what drew her to become a soldier:

I grew up in the Army and came from a family who, since 1862, has defended our nation. My great grandfather, my grandfather, my father, my brother, my sister, my niece, and my husband are all veterans of this country’s wars. My father is a veteran of three wars and is one of the 25 million veterans living today who served the nation with such incredible courage.

While I joined the Army right out of college, I planned to only stay in the Army to complete my two-year commitment, but it wasn’t too long before I realized that there are no other shoes [boots] I would rather fill than the ones I am wearing right now. As a soldier, you can continually serve. It is a calling to be a soldier and there is a great sense of pride and camaraderie in serving the greatest Army in the world."

Dunwoody's first assignment was as a platoon leader with the 226th Maintenance Company, 100th Supply and Services Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During her 30+ years as a Quartermaster Corps officer she has commanded the 226th Maintenance Company Fort Sill, OK; 5th Quartermaster Detachment (Airborne) Kaiserslautern, Germany; the 407th Supply and Service Battalion/ 782d Main Support Battalion (MSB), Fort Bragg, NC; the 10th Mountain Division Support Command (DISCOM), Fort Drum, NY; the 1st Corps Support Command (1st COSCOM), Fort Bragg, NC; the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC)/Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), Alexandria, VA; and the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), Fort Lee, VA.

Her major staff assignments include service as the Parachute Officer, 82nd Airborne Division; strategic planner for the Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA); Executive Officer to the Director, Defense Logistics Agency; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics G-4.

From May 1989 to May 1991, Dunwoody served as executive officer and later division parachute officer for the 407th Supply and Transportation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm. in 2001, As the 1st Corps Support Command Commander she deployed the Logistics Task Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 1 and stood up the Joint Logistics Command in Uzbekistan in support of Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)-180. As Commander of Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), she supported the largest deployment and redeployment of U.S. forces since World War II.

Sexual assault prevention
Dunwoody, along with George W. Casey Jr. were very avid in pushing for a decrease in sexual assault within the U.S. Army. Dunwoody believes that the U.S. Army should set an example for the rest of the world and that they have a long way to go in order to significantly decrease sexual assault, but they are making progress.

Logistics
Dunwoody was in charge of all Army logistics. Her education came from the Florida Institute of Technology and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. During her career, Dunwoody managed the largest global logistics command in Army history (69,000 military and civilians, located in all 50 states and more than 140 countries). Along with that she managed a budget of $60 billion and was responsible for oversight of approximately $70 billion in service contracts and "managed and operationalized the Army's global supply chain for numerous engagements." Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno claimed that Dunwoody was "quite simply the best logistician the Army has ever had."

Dunwoody participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for promising girls in Washington, D.C. public schools in March 2009.

Dunwoody officially retired from the U.S. Army after 37 years on August 15, 2012.

Career firsts


  • Dunwoody is pinned with her four stars by Army Chief of Staff General Casey and her husband Craig Brotchie.
  • Among her notable firsts, she became the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division in 1992. She became Fort Bragg's first female general officer in 2000. She became the first woman to command the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee, Virginia, in 2004. And in 2005, Dunwoody became the first female soldier to achieve three-star rank since LTG Claudia J. Kennedy, the former Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, who retired in 2000.
  • On November 14, 2008, Dunwoody became the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star General. Her promotion ceremony was held at the Pentagon, with introductory speeches by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Army Chief of Staff General George W. Casey


I hope you liked this post and as always have a chilled day from the Viking.



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