From now on, you can call her “General Wilz.”
Giselle Wilz has been a member of the North Dakota National Guard for nearly 32 years.
“You know, it's an honor," said Wilz. "And it's as much attributed to the soldiers I've served with throughout the years, as it is to my ability. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here today.”
Wilz becomes the first female general in the North Dakota Army National Guard.
“I think it is important that we've finally broken that varrier," said Wilz. "You're going to see a lot more, because there's some many more women in the Guard taking advantage of the opportunities. So I may be the first, but I doubt I will be the last.”
Next month – General Wilz will head to Bosnia as commander and senior military representative of NATO.
“It (Bosnia) is a complex environment," said Wilz. "It's extremely challenging over there. Things don't necessarily move at the speed which we'd like them to move.”
Wilz has served overseas before – in Desert Storm and in Kosovo. She says she’s looking forward to duty in Bosnia.