Jennifer L. Tietz served as a nuclear surface warfare officer in the Navy for more than a decade before retiring. She received a Special Recognition Award at the 2009 Women of Color STEM Conference.

Currently, over 200,000 women serve in the U.S. military. In addition to being commanders, doctors, pilots, and combat fighters, they are also moms and military spouses.

June 12 marked an auspicious anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed into law by President Truman in 1948. It acknowledged the contributions made by women in the military and enabled them to serve as regular members of the U.S. armed forces and reserves.