Army medic Monica Brown received the Silver Star for heroism in Afghanistan after repeatedly exposing herself to enemy fire to rescue and treat wounded soldiers during an ambush.

General Jeanne Holm became the first woman in the U.S. Air Force to reach the rank of general officer and helped expand opportunities for women throughout the Air Force.

Army Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester became the first woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star for direct combat action, leading her team during a fierce firefight in Iraq in 2005.

Admiral Michelle Howard became the first African American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship and later the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the Navy.

In 2008, Ann Dunwoody became the first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general, demonstrating the continued expansion of leadership opportunities for women in uniform.