Can women become Generals or Admirals?
Until thirty years ago the answer to this question would have been a resounding “No!” Even though women had officially served in the military since 1901, when the Army Nurse Corps was created, the highest rank they could hold was Colonel. Promotion to “Star Rank,” a military term for admirals and generals, was not an option for career minded military women. Higher career opportunities began to open for civilian women with the advent of the Equal Pay Act in 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The top of the career ladder was not visible yet for a woman in uniform. Finally in 1967 a bill to promote military women to star rank worked its way though the bureaucratic maze and was signed into law. Did the military rush to promote women – of course not. It took another two years for them to get around to that. Finally in June of 1970 the Army took the first step and promoted the chief of the Army Nurse Corps Colonel Anna May Hayes to Brigadier General – the very first woman to wear a star.
