<Tr> <Th> Commands held </Th> <Td> Air Force Materiel Command C - 17 Systems Group </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Awards </Th> <Td> Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2) </Td> </Tr> <P> Janet Carol Wolfenbarger (née Libby; 1958) is a retired United States Air Force four - star general who served as the eighth commander of Air Force Materiel Command from June 5, 2012, to June 8, 2015 . She was the first woman to achieve the rank of four - star general in the Air Force . Wolfenbarger retired from the Air Force after over 35 years of service . </P> <P> Wolfenbarger was born in Tampa, Florida . She was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida . Along with her various duty assignments she furthered her education with a Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985 and another Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1994 . She is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College . Her major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal . </P>

Who was the first female general officer in the air force