Behind 'bow wave' in breaking barriers for women

In 1983, shortly after receiving her commission from the Army, Lt. Gen. Mary A. Legere remembers having a conversation with a fellow Soldier inside what was then called West Germany.

"I was a signals intelligence officer, and was in our position along the border in West Germany," said Legere, who this month ended her assignment as the Army's G-2. "If the Soviet Army came, this is where we would fight and do our mission.

"I remember this young female 18-year-old Soldier looked at me, a young 23-year-old, and said 'we're pretty exposed here, because the main battle positions for our cavalry regiment are behind us, ma'am. And we are in a position, based on our equipment, where if the enemy closes on us, they are going to close pretty fast. Are the Soviets aware that we are not supposed to be in combat against them?'"

In 1983, there were a lot of rules and regulations about where women could serve in proximity to combat. Yet Legere and her fellow enlisted Soldier both recognized at the time the ridiculousness of having such rules in place.

"It was at that moment that I had this stark realization that we had these rules that were established that were based on proximity and combat coding that made no real sense," Legere said. "Men and women -- both similarly exposed -- would need to have access to the same quality of tactical training and experience to ensure their combat readiness and survival in war."