Ann E. Dunwoody

• Education: State University of New York at Cortland; Command and General Staff College; Florida Institute of Technology; Industrial College of the Armed Forces

• Significance: General Ann E. Dunwoody was the first woman to serve as a four-star general. She served in the US military for thirty-eight years before retiring in 2012.

Background

Ann E. Dunwoody was born in 1953 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Her family had a long history of serving in the US military, dating back to the Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Dunwoody's great-grandfather, Henry Harrison Chase Dunwoody, served as a Signal Corps officer in the Spanish-American War (1898). Her father, Harold H. Dunwoody, was the veteran of several wars, including World War II (1939–1945), the Korean War (1950–1953), and the Vietnam War (1955–1975). He would later retire as a brigadier general. Dunwoody's brother, Harold H. Dunwoody Jr., graduated from the West Point military academy, and her older sister, Susan Schoeck, was just the third woman ever to serve as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. Dunwoody's niece also served as a fighter pilot during the war in Afghanistan (2001–).

Because of her father's military career, Dunwoody's family moved around often during her childhood. The family even spent time living overseas in Germany and Belgium. After returning to the United States, Dunwoody attended college at the State University of New York at Cortland, where she participated in tennis and gymnastics competitions. She earned a degree in physical education in 1975. Following graduation, Dunwoody joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). She was technically part of the Women's Army Corps when she joined, but this branch shut down soon afterward to allow women to serve alongside men in the US military. Dunwoody had planned to serve two years with the ROTC and then find a job teaching physical education and have a family. Nevertheless, she found military service to her liking and decided to remain even after her two-year commitment expired.

Dunwoody started out as a second lieutenant. She served as a platoon leader in the 226th Maintenance Company and the 100th Supply and Services Battalion in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Dunwoody then attended quartermaster officer school at Fort Lee in Virginia. She later served in the 5th Quartermaster Detachment in Kaiserslautern, Germany. When she returned to the United States, she took positions at several military bases, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York.

Breaking through the "Brass Ceiling"

Being a woman in the US military was not always an easy experience. At times, Dunwoody was given assignments that were considered below her rank. However, she impressed her superiors with her work ethic and physical abilities. While struggling to climb the ranks in the army, she also continued her education. In 1987, Dunwoody graduated from the Command and General Staff College. She then attended the Florida Institute of Technology and earned a Master of Science degree in logistics management in 1988.

During her career, Dunwoody also became a master parachutist. She served as an executive officer and a division parachute officer for the 407th Supply and Transportation Battalion. Dunwoody also served in the Gulf War (1990–1991) with the 82nd Airborne Division in Saudi Arabia. She was the first woman to serve as a battalion commander for this unit. Dunwoody was also the first woman to serve as a general at Fort Bragg. After serving in the Gulf War, she earned another advanced degree. In 1995, she graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces with a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy.

Following the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the military began a battle against terrorism in Afghanistan. As a commanding general, Dunwoody organized support and supplies for the troops fighting overseas. She also established the Joint Logistics Command in Uzbekistan to provide support for a combined joint task force during the war. From 2002 to 2004, Dunwoody was the commander of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois. Under her direction, this unit provided support for the largest US troop deployment since World War II. In 2005, Dunwoody became the highest-ranking woman in the army. She earned the rank of lieutenant general and served as the deputy chief of staff of the army for logistics.

Four-Star Ranking

In 2008, President George W. Bush nominated Dunwoody to serve as the commanding general of US Army Materiel Command. This command has influence throughout the United States and in nearly 150 countries around the globe. Dunwoody would oversee the more than 69,000 officers who provided the hardware and support that soldiers needed to continue to fight the war against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US Senate confirmed Dunwoody's nomination in July 2008.

Just a few months later, Dunwoody made history by becoming the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star general in both the US Army and the US Armed Forces. Her promotion was celebrated with a ceremony that her elderly father was able to attend. At the ceremony, Dunwoody gave a speech thanking her family and coworkers and expressing surprise at how her life had turned out.

On August 15, 2012, Dunwoody was celebrated once again. After serving for thirty-eight years in the military, she decided to retire. Friends and family members gathered in Virginia to honor her long career. Following her retirement, Dunwoody worked to prevent sexual assault in the military.

Impact

Dunwoody influenced the military by showing that women could climb to the highest ranks of the armed services. Throughout her career, she wanted others to recognize her primarily as a soldier. Her dedication to her work earned her numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star. In 2011, Dunwoody received the French National Order of Merit. She received the Sylvanus Thayer Award from West Point in 2019. She was honored with the American Spirit Award from the National World War II Museum and Hancock Whitney in 2024.

Personal Life

Dunwoody married Craig Brotchie, a retired US Air Force colonel, in 1990. The two have a dog named Barney. Dunwoody and Brotchie decided to move to Florida following her retirement from the army in 2012. As of 2024, they lived in Tampa.

Bibliography

AMC Public Affairs. "Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, U.S. Army Materiel Command Commanding General." U.S. Army, 30 June 2008, www.army.mil/article/10506. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Dooley, Erin. "Meet the US Military's Three Four-Star Women." ABC News, 2 July 2014, abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/07/meet-the-us-militarys-three-four-star-women/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Hames, Jacqueline M. "Dunwoody Army's 1st Female 4-Star General." Army News Service, 28 Nov. 2008, www.mccoy.army.mil/vnewspaper/newspaper/realmccoy/11282008/dunwoody.htm. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

"The National WWII Museum and Hancock Whitney Announce 2024 American Spirit Award Honorees." The National World War II Museum, 2 Apr. 2024, www.nationalww2museum.org/media/press-releases/national-wwii-museum-and-hancock-whitney-announce-2024-american-spirit-award. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Swarns, Rachel L. "Commanding a Role for Women in the Military." The New York Times, 30 June 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/washington/30general.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Tribune Wire Report. "Ann E. Dunwoody." Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2008, www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-ann-e-dunwoody-081114-ht-story.html. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Tucker, Spencer C. "Dunwoody, Ann E. (1953–)." An Encyclopedia of American Women at War: From the Home Front to the Battlefields. Vol. 1. Edited by Lisa Tendrich Frank. ABC-CLIO, 2013, pp. 197–98.