Major General Mary E. Clarke became the first woman to achieve the rank of General in the United States Army in 1978. After graduating from high school, she worked as a secretary and then enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1945. Following the dissolution of the WAC in 1978, she led the U.S. Army Chemical School at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. She was appointed commander of both the U.S. Army Military Police and Chemical Schools, positions not previously held by a woman. Clarke retired in 1981 after serving 36 years in the Army, which was the longest service duration for a woman in this branch.