Ann E . Dunwoody Ann Elizabeth Dunwoody ( born January 14 , 1953 ) is a retired four - star general in 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 . Biography . Early years . Ann Dunwoody was born in 1953 at Fort Belvoir , Virginia to Elizabeth and Harold Dunwoody . Her father was a career Army officer , and the family lived in Germany and Belgium while she was growing up . She graduated from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ( SHAPE ) SHAPE High School | American High School in 1971 . U . S . Army career . In 1975 , Dunwoody graduated from State University of New York College at Cortland with a degree in physical education 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 : 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 . Gen . Dunwoody participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for promising girls in Washington , D . C . public schools in March 2009 . She officially retired from the Army after 37 years on August 15 , 2012 . Career firsts . 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 Lt . Gen . Claudia 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 . Awards and honors . Military awards and decorations . Dunwoody ' s military awards and decorations include : Family , military heritage . General Dunwoody has a long family history of U . S . military service – going back five generations . She grew up in a military household , the daughter of Elizabeth ( died 2006 , age 81 ) and Harold H . Dunwoody ( born c . 1918 in Englewood , Florida ) . Her great - grandfather , Brigadier General Henry Harrison Chase Dunwoody , an 1862 graduate of the U . S . Military Academy , was the Chief Signal Officer in Cuba from 1898 to 1901 . Her father retired from the U . S . Army as a Brigadier General in 1973 . Brigadier General Dunwoody is a highly decorated veteran of World War II , the Korean War and the Vietnam War . He was badly wounded in France during World War II and earned the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery while serving as a battalion commander in the Korean War . As a Brigadier General , he commanded the 1st Brigade , 5th Infantry Division ( Mechanized ) during the Vietnam War . Her brother , Harold H . " Buck " Dunwoody , Jr . is a 1970 West Point graduate . Her older sister , Susan Schoeck , was the third woman in the Army to become a helicopter pilot . Her niece , Jennifer Schoeck , is a U . S . Air Force fighter pilot . She is married to Colonel Craig Brotchie , USAF ( Retired ) . Quotes . " " I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement , I grew up in a family that didn ' t know what glass ceilings were . This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform . " " Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody " " I have never considered myself anything but a Soldier . I recognize that with this selection , some will view me as a trailblazer , but it ' s important that we remember the generations of women , whose dedication , commitment and quality of service helped open the doors of opportunity for us today . " " Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody " " There is no one more surprised than I – except , of course , my husband . You know what they say , ' Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man . ' " " Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody " “ I have followed her career for 33 years . Every assignment she has ever had , she ’ s done in an outstanding manner . So it really doesn ’ t surprise me she was the first woman selected for four stars . ” " Dunwoody ' s Father , retired Brigadier General Harold H . Dunwoody " " Lieutenant General Dunwoody ' s nomination not only underscores her significant contributions and success throughout 33 years of service , but also shows the level of possible opportunity in our Army ' s diverse , quality , all - volunteer force . Our nation will continue to benefit from Lieutenant General Dunwoody ' s leadership as the Army continues to build strength from our diversity . " " General George W . Casey , Chief of Staff of the Army " " Her 33 years of service , highlighted by extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty , make her exceptionally qualified for this senior position . " " Robert Gates , Secretary of Defense Photo controversy . The Department of Defense released an altered photo of General Dunwoody , in which the background of her photo was replaced with a U . S . flag . This resulted in the Associated Press withdrawing the photo , beginning an investigation into its circulation of the altered photo , and temporarily suspending its publication of photos provided by the Department of Defense . There was no evidence that General Dunwoody had any knowledge or involvement in the manipulation . Associated Press director of photography Santiago Lyon said , " For us , there ' s a zero - tolerance policy of adding or subtracting actual content from an image . " The Department of Defense said that the alteration did not violate Army policy , which prohibited editing of an image to misrepresent facts or circumstances .