Maj. Gen. Maria Barrett and Brig. Gen. Paula Lodi made U.S. Army history this summer, as they became the first pair of sisters to ever become generals.
Barrett said they reached this milestone due to "hard work" and "strong leadership skills," telling The Washington Post that it was a "very tough bar in and of itself for both of us to make it." The Council on Foreign Relations says roughly 16 percent of the 1.3 million active-duty service members are women.
Lodi is the director of health care operations for the Army's surgeon general, while Barrett is the commanding general of the Army's Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM). Barrett became a general in December 2015, and Lodi was promoted to the rank in July. Both women have been in the Army for more than 25 years.
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Through the Army, the sisters have been able to travel the world, and Barrett met her husband. As their story has been shared, Barrett and Lodi have been approached by women who say they look up to them and their ability to make their mark in a male-dominated field. Some also ask for advice on how to balance a family with being in the military, and Lodi, a mother of two, tells them "I think if you are blessed to find something that you love doing and then to have an incredibly supportive family, you tend to figure it out."
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