new 4-star general

general ann dunwoody made history when she became the first four-star woman general in the us army's history. It was both a sign of how far women have come in the U.S. military and a reminder that women are still not considered equals to their military counterpart. Army Chief of Staff George Casey admitted "It's taken a long time, probably longer than it should have" (cnn.com). a reason being is that generals usually become generals after earning their stripes in combat. technically women still cant participate in direct combat because of congress law. The fact is American women have been fighting and dying alongside men in both Iraq and Afghanistan, two wars with no front lines, and so far 115 women have lost their lives protecting our country. dunwoody rose through the ranks through the army material command. "I didn't appreciate the enormity of the events until tidal waves of cards, letters, and e-mails started coming my way," Dunwoody said (cnn.com). the name dunwoody has a proud military history, a dunwoody has fought in every american war since the revolution. her great-grandfather, Brig. Gen. Henry Harrison Chase Dunwoody, was the chief signal officer in Cuba from 1898 to 1901 and her father, Hal Dunwoody, is a veteran of three wars -- World War II, Korea and Vietnam. the younger generation of dunwoody, including ann, are writing their own. her sister Sue was the third female helicopter pilot in the Army, and her niece Jenny is an Air Force A-10 pilot who recently returned from flying combat missions in Afghanistan. maybe this is sign of things to come. a first black president and now a first female four star general, let us hope that these first and historical events are a sign the future will bring change.