When it comes to securing and protecting the United States, women are thriving in leadership positions throughout the Army. From coordinating health services and readiness for commands to providing the necessary tools to mobilize and sustain military personnel, here are a few black women who are blazing trails for other women while also making history.
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Specialist. Jessica Jones
On July 16, 2013, Jones made history as one of the first women to attend the U.S. Army Ordnance School’s Artillery Mechanic (91P). Historically, the 15-week military occupational specialty has been restricted to male students. According to army.mil, Jones and Spc. Angelika Jansen are the first females to hold the military occupational specialty. The course is one of six the Army opened to women as part of an effort to loosen the combat exclusion provisions under the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule.
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Major General Marcia M. Anderson
In 2011, Maj. Gen. Anderson made history as the Army’s first
female African American two-star general. Currently on a mission to help other women march in her footsteps, she also serves as the deputy chief of the Army Reserve, where she is responsible for developing professional- and leadership-training programs.Major General. Bingham
In June Maj. Gen. Bingham is the first woman to hold the position of Commander of the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command at Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich. She provides the necessary tools to mobilize and sustain military personnel. Her prior positions includes serving as commanding general, U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range, N.M and she’s served at every level of command  through theater support command, and a wide variety of important staff positions.
Major General Nadja Y. West
Army Maj. Gen. West is joint staff surgeon at the Pentagon, Washington, DC. She serves as the chief medical advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing advice to the Chairman, the Joint Staff, and the Combatant Commanders. She coordinates issues related to Health Services including operational medicine, force health protection, and readiness among the Combatant Commands, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Services.
Brig. Gen Kaffia Jones
As the Deputy Commanding General for the 35th Signal Command (Theater), she helps provide critical communications and information services for the armed forces in southwest Asia, as well as homeland-defense operations as directed by the U.S. Army Reserve Command.
She has received many awards including the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (silver oak leaf cluster), Army Commendation and Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
SOURCE: Army.mil.