West Point Honors The First Female 4-Star General In US History

Oct 21, 2019

West Point, America’s premier military academy, recently honored the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star general in the history of the United States military.

Retired General Ann Dunwoody served her country with distinction for 38 years, earning her fourth star in 2008 in a ceremony at the Pentagon. To honor General Dunwoody for all she has done for her country, West Point’s Association of Graduates bestowed the Thayer Award upon her.

The West Point Association states that the Thayer Award is given to those whom West Point judges to have served in the national interest and exemplify the academy’s motto of “Duty, Honor, Country.” Among past recipients of the Thayer Award are Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robert Mueller, Bob Hope, and Tom Brokaw.

Upon her retirement in 2012, General Dunwoody led the Army Material Command, the branch’s largest logistics department with international responsibility. According to the Army Times, although the General had four generations before her serve the military in her army, she never planned on joining herself. 

"I always dreamed that I was going to be a coach and a physical education teacher," said Dunwoody. "That's what I knew I wanted to be."

That all changed however in her senior year when she discovered a program aimed at encouraging more women to join the US military. 

"But when they offered this opportunity, I signed up, and two [years] turned into five, turned into 10, turned into forever," she added.

General Dunwoody's military career was not without obstacles, however; especially in a career overwhelmingly dominated by males.

"In the military, I had advocates, then there were detractors," she explained. "They just don't like you, maybe they think it's a man's Army and women don't belong here. The key is how you deal with people. You don't stoop to name-calling. You be professional, demonstrate you're capable and sometimes you convert people. In the military, people want the best leader on the team. They want the best, and we have a profession that's looking for and rewards that kind of behavior."

The West Point Association presented Gen. Dunwoody with the Thayer award on October 10. 

What do you think of General Dunwoody earning the Thayer Award for her years of service to the United States? Can you think of anyone in your life that shows a dedication to West Point’s motto of “Duty, Honor, Country?” Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!