BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " BRIGADIER GENERAL SHEILA BAXTER " IS TOP RANKED FEMALE IN ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                          BLACK     SOCIAL     HISTORY                                                                                                                                            

Brigadier Gen. Sheila Baxter is Top-Ranked Female in Army Medical Service Corps

The first female general officer in the Army Medical Service Corps is Brig. Gen. Sheila R. Baxter, a 25-year career officer.

The U.S. flag was flown over the Capitol and a proclamation in her honor was read by Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, the Army Surgeon General, last June when she took over her duties. Except for the Army press, the unusual promotion went unnoticed. Few in the military were aware of the advance.

Today, the officer serves as the Asst. Surgeon General for Force Sustainment for the Army, which encompasses medical logistics, contracting and facility management. The Corps consists of 3,902 skilled, dedicated active-duty officers and enlisted personnel who perform the clinical, scientific, administrative, command and support services. The Corps healthcare system is worldwide.

Asked how it felt to be the highest-ranking female in the Corps, the general responded, "I thank God for the promotion because I will be able to help soldiers and advance the Army's agenda."

Since 1978 she has held a variety of worldwide positions, including chief of staff for the command. At one time, she commanded the material center in Europe, where her unit was responsible for providing medical supplies and medical maintenance support for the Army, Navy, Air Force and State Department in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

A graduate of Virginia State University where she was commissioned in the ROTC, she holds a master's degree in health services management from Webster University. She is a licensed evangelist with the Church of God In Christ and a member of AKA Sorority.