Army Brig. Gen. Heidi Brown, shown here at the Pentagon: "Gender now shuts the door for me." David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
On The Front Lines: Women In War In a series, NPR looks at what it means to be a woman in uniform today-- how that's changed over generations and whether more change looms. The series profiles five women in the military, with different perspectives on women's role in combat and expectations for their future.
Special Series
On The Front Lines: Women In War
An NPR series looks at what it means to be a woman in uniform today.
Betsy Thompson (left) and her daughter, Kelly MacDonald, both decided to become soldiers. Courtesy of Betsy Thompson hide caption
Retired Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Leigh Ann Hester, now a police officer in the suburbs of Nashville, Tenn., is the first female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star medal for valor in combat. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Left: Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught during her time serving in Vietnam; when she joined the military, she received training on how to put on makeup — but not how to fire a weapon. Right: An illustrated poster of Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star for valor. Both women are profiled in this series. Courtesy of Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught; David Gilkey, NPR hide caption