Meet first African American woman to serve as a Marine Corps brigadier general

Black women keep making history!

Colonel Lorna Mahlock is the most recent to make history.

She has been nominated to be the first female African American general officer of the Marine Corps.

Before her nomination, Mahlock, 49, was the deputy director of plans, policies and operations since July 2017.

She joined the Corps in 1985 and was commissioned in 1991. From there, she’s been on the up and up. She served in Iraq three times, starting as a company commander and finishing off as commanding officer in 2009. She was also stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where she was overseeing military and civilian personnel and equipment in support of U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mahlock has received a number of awards including  the Iraq Campaign Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Once her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, she’ll be part of history just like the first black general in Marine Corps history, Frank E. Petersen Jr.

Petersen Jr. was promoted to brigadier general in 1979 after serving as the second lieutenant from October 1952, according to Marine Corps University.

Mahlock’s nomination is a significant move in the military service where women make only eight percent of officers.