The first female commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was sworn in on Tuesday, the latest milestone for American women who now are allowed to serve all military combat roles, NBC News reported.
Brigadier General Diana Holland, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, assumed the leadership post after being honored in a packed ceremony at the academy 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City, whose graduates typically serve as Army officers.
Holland assumes the historic leadership position a month after the U.S. military struck down gender barriers in the armed forces, announcing it would accept women in all combat jobs previously open only to men, from leading infantry soldiers into battle to serving as Navy SEALS.
Holland's resume includes barrier-breaking accomplishments such as becoming the first female general of the U.S. Army Fort Drum & 10th Mountain Division.
