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Marine Maj. Gen. Loretta Reynolds, currently head of Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command, has been nominated to be the Corps’ first female three-star general in nearly a decade, officials announced recently.

  • The last female three-star general in the Marine Corps was Lt. Gen. Frances Wilson, who served from 1972 to 2009. The Marine Corps' first female three-star general was Carol Mutter, who served from 1967 to 1999. Her last assignment was as head of Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
  • Her nomination was announced on May 18. If confirmed by the Senate, Reynolds would become the new deputy commandant for information leading the Corps’ information operations – a concept that the Marines are still trying to figure out.
  • “Information is power,” Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Christopher Harrison told Task & Purpose in an email. “The speed and reach of information has fundamentally changed the character of modern warfare, and has presented opportunities for the MAGTF [Marine Air-Ground Task Force] is inherently designed to exploit.”
  • “As militaries across the globe increasingly rely on technology and information flow to function, it becomes even more important for the Marine Corps to be able to operate and maneuver in this complex and chaotic environment while reducing our own vulnerabilities,” he added.”

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Editor’s note, 5:30 p.m. EDT: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter as the Marine Corps' last female three-star general.