For the first time in its history, the US Army Reserve will be lead by a woman, continuing the military's work towards greater diversity within its commanding ranks.
Major General Jody Daniels was nominated for the role back in May, but her promotion has now been made official, USA Today reported.
There, she will also receive her change in rank, becoming a Lieutenant General.
She is joining the small, but slowly growing group of women officers achieving positions of power within the US military.
That's compared to only 16% of the entire military force being comprised of women.
Daniels has made service her career, particularly in the intelligence branch.
Since then, she's earned both a master's and doctoral degree in computer science, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
All the while, she served in both active-duty and Reserve assignments, as director of intelligence during the tenure of Gen. David Petraeus at the training command for Iraqi security forces, and in a civilian capacity, worked at Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Laboratories directing various advanced programs.
Daniels' mother Jean is an avid seamstress and has already made more than 500 masks during the pandemic, so Daniels says she'll be fine: "We'll make sure that she uses one and we keep her appropriately distance."
h/t: USA Today
