WOMEN ON DUTY
Their numbers in the military are increasing steadily
Coast Guard first
Last month, Coast Guard Lt. Ronaqua Russell, 28, was one of eight pilots to be awarded the prestigious Coast Guard Air Medal for operations after the deadly hurricane that hit Houston in 2017. She is the first AfricanAmerican woman in the branch to receive the Air Medal.
25 years recognized
The naval community is celebrating a milestone in gender-integrated operations: 25 years ago this month, the Navy ordered the first assignment of women to a combat ship. Sixty-three women were detailed to the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Space accomplishment
Army Lt. Col. Anne McClain will be part of NASA’s first all-female spacewalk at the International Space Station. McClain and fellow astronaut Christina Koch will conNdAuScAt a seven-hour spacewalk scheduled for March 29 as part of Expedition 59. McClain embarked on a six-month mission to the International Space Station in December.