Women in Service: Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm

In 1973, the first woman was promoted to the rank of major general, establishing a new standard for female service members in the U.S. military. However, this promotion was only the latest in a series of ground-breaking accomplishments for the Air Force's first female general officer, Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm.

Holm joined the U.S. Army in 1942 to support the WWII war effort and served as a truck driver throughout the conflict. After two years at Louis & Clark University, Holm was recalled to active duty, where she transferred into the Air Force and deployed to Germany, where she served as War Plans Officer for the 85th Air Depot Wing during the Berlin Airlift.

In 1952, she was the first woman to attend the Air Command and Staff College. She would later complete her bachelor's degree at Louis & Clark University in 1956.

Throughout her time in the Air Force, Holm's merits and authority were consistently challenged by male leadership in a fledgling military service that sought to purge females from its ranks. However, according to the Washington Post, Holm's tact and strategic savvy from years of service at the Pentagon allowed her to successfully challenge paradigms within the Air Force ranks.

As director of the Women in the Air Force, or WAF, Holm fought for women to serve on overseas duty assignments and other traditionally-male missions, and more than doubled the total size of the female force. Holm's leadership paved the way for today's female veterans, who have served with valor on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan and serve with parity alongside male counterparts across most military job fields.

Though she nearly retired out of frustration in 1971, top brass had taken notice of Holm's work, promoting her to the first female general officer in the Air Force. In 1973, she pinned on her second star as a major general, making her the highest ranking female in the U.S. military at the time.

During her final years in uniform, Holm fought successfully to expand military benefits to female service members, allowing their male spouses comparable access to dependent services and care. She retired in 1975 after more than 30 years of ground-breaking service, shortly after the Air Force announced it would train female pilots.

The Air Force and its related associations have recognized Holm's contributions on many occasions, including a lifetime achievement award from the Air Force Association and the establishment of the Jeanne M. Holm Officer Accessions and Citizen Development Center at Air University.

During her time in the military, Holm's accomplishments earned her the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

Holm died on Feb. 15, 2010 from complications from heart disease at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md.

(Photos: Top: Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm shortly after her promotion in 1973. U.S. Air Force photo, released. Bottom: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Emilia Martin, right, teaches Airmen the proper way to salute during Officer Training School at the Jeanne M. Holm Officer Accessions and Citizen Development Center. U.S. Air Force photo by Jamie Pitcher, released.)

Boccieri-Ryan Resolution to Extradite Claudia Hoerig Passes House

Yesterday afternoon, the House approved an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act calling for the extradition of suspected killer Claudia Hoerig. The resolution, introduced by Ohio Democratic Congressmen Tim Ryan and John Boccieri, expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Goverment should work as a priority to ensure that Claudia Hoerig is returned to Ohio to face justice.

Hoerig is currently hiding in Brazil, where she claims residence, after being accused of killing her husband, Air Force Maj. Karl Hoerig, in the couple's Ohio home. Brazil has refused her extradition to stand trial.

Boccieri, who served alongside Karl Hoerig in the Ohio Air National Guard, originally introduced a stand-alone resolution along with Ryan calling for Claudia Hoerig's extradition in April. The resolution was finally included as the manager's amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which was approved yesterday.

AMVETS Past National Commander John P. "JP" Brown III, a native of Ohio, has vocally called for Hoerig's extradition since the tragic shooting in 2007. Last spring, Brown made an empassioned speech on the issue before the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs. To see video of Cmdr. Brown's testimony, Click Here.

"In April of 2007 Maj. Karl D. Hoerig, a decorated pilot from the war in Iraq was brutally murdered. Accused in the murder is Maj. Hoerig's wife Claudia C. Hoerig. The case has stalled in light of Mrs. Hoerig returning to Brazil, her native country," Brown said during his testimony. "I request that each of you support the Department of State and the Department of Justice in extraditing Mrs. Hoerig so she can stand trial for the crime of which she is accused, and allow the family of an American hero to have some closure in this tragic event."

Brown has continued to push for Hoerig's extradition since returning to his home state, keeping the issue fresh in Congressman Ryan's ear.

Brown said that he hopes national media will pay attention to this issue, coupled with the ongoing dispute between David Goldman and the government of Brazil over parental custody of Sean Goldman, who was illegally abducted by his mother and taken to Rio de Janeiro for a "two-week vacation" in 2004.

AMVETS leaders will continue to support the work of Congress and the Department of State to return Claudia Hoerig stateside to face justice. Check back with American Veteran Online for updates as the Foreign Relations Authorization Act moves forward.

(Photo: Maj. Karl Hoerig flew over 200 combat missions, logging more than 400 combat flight hours as a member of the 910th Airlift Wing with the Ohio Air National Guard in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Air Force file photo of Maj. Karl Hoerig, released.)

Women in Service: Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught

For the next installment of our Women in Service series, American Veteran has chosen to highlight retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught, one of the most-decorated female service members in American history and the visionary behind the Women In Military Service For America Memorial at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.

Raised in Scottland, Ill., Vaught decided to join the Air Force, seeking opportunities to lead. Her distinguished career took her around the world in a variety of command roles. In 1966, Vaught was the first woman to deploy with an operational unit as part of the Strategic Air Command bombardment wing to Guam, and later became one of the only non-nurses deployed to Vietnam.

After President Lyndon Johnson signed a law permitting women to serve at the flag and general officer level, Vaught was the first woman in the military's comptroller field to receive the distinction.

Prior to her retirement from the Air Force in 1985, Vaught commanded the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command in North Chicago, Ill., where her unit was the first commanded by a female officer to receive the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the nation's highest peacetime award for a military unit.

Through the course of her distinguished military career Vaught received such notable awards as the Defense and Air Force Distinguished Service medals, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

However, Vaught continued to serve her fellow veterans and her country once she left the military. Throughout the 1990s, Vaught campaigned for a national memorial honoring America's female service members, a vision that came to fruition with the opening of the Women's Memorial, the only national memorial honoring all of our nation's military women, on Oct. 18, 1997.

Today, Vaught is recognized as one of the chief advocates and leaders for America's female service members through her work as president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, the organization responsible for building and now maintaining and operating the memorial.

Today, the memorial stands as a testament to the contributions more than 2.5 million American military women have made to our nation's storied military history. The memorial and its expansive education facilities house a gallery dedicated to the service of America's military women dating back to the American Revolution, as well as a Hall of Honor and registry chronicling the experiences of thousands of individual female veterans, past and present. Artifacts, photos and exhibits are maintained by the foundation to preserve the legacy of our female veterans and inspire generations to come.

Thousands of veterans and their loved ones visit the memorial each year. In 2007, the memorial celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of events around the nation's Capitol, including a gala, reunion, an anniversary ceremony, and memorial services. An all-female color guard from AMVETS Post 1912 in Farmington, N.M., presented the nation's colors for the candlelight march from the Lincoln Memorial, across the Potomac River, to the Service of Remembrance on the memorial's plaza. To view a DoD photo essay from the 10th anniversary, Click Here.

Vaught continues to muster public support for the Women's Memorial, honoring the sacrifices and valor of America's female service members. She continues to speak nationally on her work and the work of American military women, bringing female veterans' contributions and their unique needs and concerns to the forefront of the national discourse.

(Photos: Top: In March 2009, retired Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught takes First Lady Michelle Obama on a tour of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial during an event honoring Women's History Month and military families. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian. Middle: in 1968, then-Air Force Maj. Wilma L. Vaught poses for a photo while serving with Military Assistance Command in Saigon, Vietnam. Photo courtesy of retired Brig. Gen. Vaught. Bottom: Gen. Vaught greets her fellow female veterans at the dedication of the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 18, 1997. Department of Defense photo by Staff Sgt. Renee L. Sitler. All photos are property of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation and have been furnished solely for use on the American Veteran Online blog.)

Women in Service: Army/Air Force Capt. Lillian Kinkela Keil

For the next installment of our Women in Service series, American Veteran has chosen to highlight U.S. Army Air Corps Capt. Lillian Kinkela Keil, the most-decorated female veteran of WWII.

Keil served as a flight nurse during WWII and Korea, taking part in more than 400 combat casualty evacuation missions. According to her family, Keil was involved in the evacuation of more than 10,000 wounded American service members in some of the most pivotal battles of WWII and Korea. For her work, she was awarded 19 medals and ribbons, including four Air Medals and two Presidential Unit Citations.

Prior to joining the war effort, Kiel joined the nursing program at San Francisco's St. Mary's Hospital. She then served as a flight attendent for United Airlines until a passenger inspired her to volunteer for the military.

According to her Tidings obituary, following her death in July 2005, Keil's presence on casevac missions "represented home" for the wounded soldiers she would transport. Keil's daughter, Adrianne Whitmore, recalled that her mother would always keep up her personal appearance, regardless of the harsh conditions, to enstill a sense of hope in her patients.

Years later, Keil continued to recieve mail from wounded service members who recalled her bedside manner, as they were taken off the battlefield.

Keil's experiences with the 801st Medical Evacuation Squadron in Korea inspired the 1953 film "Flight Nurse." Keil is currently interned at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

(Photos: Top: U.S. Air Force photo of then-Lt. Lillian Kinkela of the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. Released. Bottom: U.S. Air Force photo of Keil alongside her plane. Released.)

Women in Service: Air Force Lt. Col. Martha McSally

For the next installment of our Women in Service series, American Veteran has chosen to highlight Air Force Lt. Col. Martha McSally, America's first female combat pilot and the first woman to command an Air Force fighter squadron.

The U.S. military lifted the ban on women flying in combat 1991 and McSally was among the first female selectees to attend fighter training school. McSally graduated from the program in 1993 and was given her first combat assignment in 1995 with an operational A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron in Kuwait.

During her tour, McSally flew combat patrols over Iraq to enforce the no-fly zone in support of Operation Southern Watch. In 2000, she returned to the Middle East with another operational squadron stationed in Riyhad, Saudi Arabia fulfilling the same enforcement role.

In 2004, McSally broke another benchmark for female aviators when she assumed command of the 354th Fighter Squadron for a combat deployment to Afghanistan. In a recent interview with Air University, McSally recalled her most memorable moments in Afghanistan, providing close air support for troops on the ground, and engaging the enemy.

According to Air University, McSally's unit flew nearly 2,000 sorties and compiled more than 7,000 combat flight hours during their tour in Afghanistan. For their accomplishments on the tour, McSally and her unit received the Air Force Association's David C. Shilling Award for "best aerospace contribution to national defense."

McSally is a native of Warwick, R.I. and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. She continues to serve in the U.S. Air Force and expects to pin on Colonel later this month. She is currently a student at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama and her name is currently on the list for Air Force Group Command.

(Photo: McSally stands for a photo alongside her A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. U.S. Air Force photo.)