V-WISE FIRSTS

About The FIRSTS

The V-WISE conference empowers women in the military community to start and grow their own businesses through networking, education, and mentorship opportunities. Our FIRSTS whom we celebrate at each event, share the trailblazing stories of women in a wide variety of categories and industries, including military, that have opened doors, set the stage and made the impossible a reality for those coming behind them. In recognition of such an incredible community, IVMF proudly highlights the remarkable women of achievement.

Join Us For The Next Conference – April 26-28th, 2024

Attend the next V-WISE conference in Atlanta and experience a weekend of incredible women in the military-community looking to expand their business knowledge.

FIRST Recipient	Branch	V-WISE Event	Year	Accomplishment
Kathleen Walters	Georgia Pacific	V-WISE Atlanta	2019	First female Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Syracuse University
Lynne Pace		V-WISE Atlanta	2019	Wife of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military family advocate
Aradhna Oliphant		V-WISE Pittsburgh	2018	Developed the first-ever strengths-based program for post 9/11 Veterans in the country which garnered a national award as well as an invite to be a member of the National Security Seminar of the US Army War College.
Delphine Metcalf-Foster	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE San Diego	2018	Elected national commander for the more than 1 million-member DAV at the organization’s 2017 national convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Denise Rohan	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE San Diego	2018	First Female Commander of the VFW
Brigadier General Margaret W. Burcham	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Phoenix	2017	First woman promoted to general within the Army Corps of Engineers
Captain Brenda Berkman	FDNY (Retired)	V-WISE Louisville	2017	First NYC Female Firefighter
Major General Angela Salinas	U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)	V-WISE Phoenix	2017	First Hispanic female to become the US Marine Corps general officer, first woman in the Marine Corps to command a recruiting station and the first woman to serve as a recruiting district commanding officer
Dr. Connie Mariano	U.S. Navy (Retired)	V-WISE Charlotte	2016	First military woman to become the White House physician to the President, the first woman Director of the White House Medical Unit and the first Filipino American in US history to become a Navy Rear Admiral
General Janet Wolfenbarger	U.S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE Charlotte	2016	First female Four-Star General in the Air Force
Rear Admiral Dawn E. Cutler	U.S. Navy	V-WISE San Antonio	2016	First woman to serve as the US Navy Chief of Information
Colonel Jill Chambers	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Kansas City	2015	First Special Assistant for Returning Warrior Issues & first person to develop a strategy to reduce the stigma of mental health challenges in the military
CSM Michele Jones	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE D.C.	2015	First African-American female command sergeant major of the Army Reserve
Lieutenant General Flora D. Darpino	Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army	V-WISE Boston	2015	First woman to hold the post of Army judge advocate general
Major General Irene Trowell-Harris	U.S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE D.C.	2015	First African-American female in the history of the National Guard to be promoted to general officer
Dr. Tracy Bilski	U.S. Navy (Veteran)	V-WISE Long Beach	2014	Creation of the FRSS (Forward Resuscitative Surgical System)
Maria Contreras-Sweet	Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration	V-WISE New York City	2014	Founder of the first Latino-formed commercial bank in California (ProAmerica Bank); first Latina to hold a state cabinet post in California
Ms. Bonnie Amos	First Lady of the Marine Corps	V-WISE New York City	2014	Wife of Commandant General James F. Amos and leader in Military Spouse of the Year Awards, Hiring our Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award
Brigadier General Linda Singh	Army National Guard	V-WISE Denver	2013	First woman and first African-American adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard
Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Seattle	2013	First female graduate of West Point to be promoted to General Officer
Command Sergeant Major Cynthia A. Pritchett	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Denver	2013	First and only female command sergeant major of a sub-unified command
Judge Coral Wong Pietsch	Brigadier General, U.S. Army Reserve (Retired)	V-WISE Jacksonville	2013	First woman to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and the first woman of Asian ancestry to be promoted to BG in the Army
Lieutenant Colonel Olga Custodio	U. S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE Chicago	2013	First Hispanic female to graduate from USAF Undergraduate pilot training, first female T-38 Undergraduate training flight instructor at Laughlin AFB, and first female T-38 Pilot Instructor at Randolph AFB
Major General Marcelite J. Harris	U.S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE Chicago	2013	First woman aircraft maintenance officer, first woman deputy commander for maintenance, and one of the first two women air offiers commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Vice Admiral Robin R. Braun	U.S. Navy	V-WISE Chicago	2013	First female chief of Navy Reserve and Reserve service chief (first commanding officer of a Reserve squadron)
Brigadier General Belinda H. Pinckney	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE San Diego	2012	First African-American woman inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame
Lieutenant General Patricia D. Horoho	U.S. Army	V-WISE Orlando	2012	First female and first Nurse Corps Officer to hold the office of Army Surgeon General and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command
Major General Marcia M. Anderson	U.S. Army Reserve	V-WISE Orlando	2012	First African-American female major general of the Army's Reserve component
Major General Martha T. Rainville	U.S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE San Diego	2012	First female to serve as a State Adjutant General (Vermont)
Master Chief Petty Officer Ginger L. Simpson	U.S. Navy (Retired)	V-WISE San Diego	2012	First female director of the Senior Enlisted Academy in the US Navy
Brigadier General Gina Farrisee	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Baltimore	2011	First female commanding general of Human Resources Command
Brigadier General Wilma Vaught	U.S. Air Force (Retired)	V-WISE San Antonio	2011	First woman to deploy with an Air Force bomber unit and the first woman to reach the rank of brigadier general from the comptroller field
General Ann E. Dunwoody	U.S. Army (Retired)	V-WISE Baltimore	2011	First woman in the US military and uniformed service history to achieve a four-star rank
Ms. Dorothy Brandt (Deceased)	U.S. Army	V-WISE San Antonio	2011	Joined the US Woman’s Army Corps in 1944 when she was just 16 years old