An Iraq and Afghanistan veteran has been appointed the first female commandant of cadets at West Point, the U.S. military academy said.
Brig. Gen. Diana Holland will become the 76th Commandant of Cadets at a ceremony scheduled for Jan. 5, it said in a statement Tuesday. She is currently the first female general of the U.S. Army Fort Drum & 10th Mountain Division.
It comes two weeks after the Pentagon announced all combat jobs are now open to women, a historic shift in policy.
"Diana's operational and command experiences will bring a new and diverse perspective to West Point's leadership team," said Eric Fanning, acting secretary of the Army. “She is absolutely the right person for this critical position."
Holland, who graduated from the West Point in 1990, has served in Germany as well as in deployments to Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011.
"I am very honored to be named the next Commandant of the U.S. Corps of Cadets," she said in the statement. "It's a privilege to be part of the team that trains and develops leaders of character for our Army."
