Elizabeth Cosson Major General Elizabeth Cosson ( born 1958 ) is Australia ' s most senior female army officer , and the first woman to reach the rank of Major General in the Australian Army . In December 2010 , she took the position of General Manager of the Executive Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs . ADF Service . Elizabeth ( Liz ) Cosson joined the Australian Army in 1979 as an officer cadet and was commissioned in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps . During the early part of her career she held a number of appointments as a supply and administrative officer . In 1991 she was appointed to a position at the Royal Australian Air Force Logistics Command where she was responsible for the logistics support to army aviation aircraft . For her work in improving the availability of the UH - 60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet and supporting the fleet deployment to Cambodia , she received a commendation from the Air Officer Commanding Logistics . In 1995 Cosson served in a number of appointments within Land Command , including a regimental appointment with the 11th Brigade and a logistics staff officer appointment at Headquarters Land Command . During this appointment her responsibilities included logistics planning in support of the 1999 operations in East Timor . In November 1999 she deployed as the Chief of Staff of the Peace Monitoring Group , Bougainville . She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2001 Australia Day Honours List " for outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff , Peace Monitoring Group , Bougainville , and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics , Land Headquarters " . On her return from Bougainville she served with Defence Corporate Services before being seconded to the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs , Defence and Trade in the House of Representatives . In 2002 , Cosson commenced a three - year appointment in strategic logistics planning and was responsible for logistics policy and for developing concepts to improve logistics information systems . In December 2005 she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier in the Australian Army . She served in the Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group of the Defence Department as the Director General Regions and Bases . In this position she was responsible for the management of integrated service delivery to Defence bases across Australia . In March 2007 she assumed the role of Head Defence Support Operations in an acting capacity . In November 2007 , the role was confirmed and she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Australian Army . She is the second female to be promoted to two - star rank in the Australian Defence Force , the first being Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer , who retired in 2005 . Cosson , as head of National Operations within the Defence Support Group , became responsible for the management of 80 ADF bases and garrisons across the country . At that time , although about 13 % of the ADF were women , there were only four at the one - star level : Commodore Robyn Walker , Commodore Vicki McConachie , Brigadier Lyn McDade and Air Commodore Margaret Staib . Cosson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2011 Australia Day Honours List as a result of her " exceptional service " in the positions of Director General Regions and Bases , and as Head Defence Support Operations . In December 2010 it was announced that she had been appointed General Manager of the Executive Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs . Kovco affair . Cosson was appointed in April 2006 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the repatriation of the body of Jacob Kovco . On 15 May 2006 , following a meeting with the Victorian Coroner , she left a CD - ROM containing a draft copy of her confidential report in a public computer in the Qantas Club lounge of Melbourne Airport . Parts of the report were subsequently broadcast by Derryn Hinch . This incident was the subject of a Defence Department inquiry . Education . Major General Cosson is a graduate of the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff ( 1994 ) and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ( 2005 ) . She holds a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies , a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies . Personal life . She is married to Brigadier James Baker , who is also currently serving in the Australian Army .