Female General Breaks 'Brass Ceiling'

Nov. 14, 2008— -- The military's highest glass ceiling was finally shattered today, as Army Gen. Ann Dunwoody became America's first female four-star general.

Dunwoody received her fourth star and the rank of general today during an emotional promotion ceremony held at the Pentagon and attended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Central Command Commander Gen. David Petraeus.

The auditorium housing the ceremony was so crowded that three-star generals had to stand off to the sides because there were no seats left in the hall.

"We invited everyone but the fire marshal," Gates said jokingly during his remarks.

Gates praised Dunwoody's accomplishments and said, "History will, no doubt, take note of her achievement in breaking through this final brass ceiling to pin on a fourth star. But she would rather be known and remembered, first and foremost, as a U.S. Army soldier. "

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey recalled that when Dunwoody was commissioned as an officer in 1975, an Army survey of both male and female soldiers that year concluded that the best career path for women in the Army was to serve as cooks. He said her career has mirrored how the Army has evolved since then.

"Although it's taken a long time, probably longer than it should have, what's happening here today is something our entire Army can celebrate and take pride in," he said.

When Dunwoody received her stars, the auditorium erupted in loud, sustained cheers and applause.

Dunwoody said she never envisioned a day like today, not even in her "wildest dreams."

"Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she said. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family."

But she said the longer she stayed in the Army, the more she realized how her childhood dreams had become a reality. "I'm still sort of in the fitness business, and my family, there's nothing better than being part of a huge Army family that I've come to love so much."

"While I know I may be the first woman to achieve this honor, I know with certainty, I won't be the last," she said.