Colleen L. McGuire

McGuire grew up in Missoula, Montana, in a military household as the oldest of six children. Her father served 30 years in the United States Army Reserve. McGuire graduated from Sentinel High School in 1975.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46513608/the-missoulian/|title=Colleen L. McGuire|date=1978-07-24|work=The Missoulian|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=3|via=Newspapers.com}} While in high school, she started in the Army Reserves. She attended the University of Montana (UM), graduating in 1979.{{Cite web|url=https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-woman-reached-dizzying-heights-in-the-army/article_76b9ff59-0585-5b40-b8c8-bbf6d89be204.html|title=Missoula woman reached dizzying heights in the Army|last=Briggeman|first=Kim|date=12 January 2020|website=Missoulian|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113050734/https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-woman-reached-dizzying-heights-in-the-army/article_76b9ff59-0585-5b40-b8c8-bbf6d89be204.html|archive-date=13 January 2020|access-date=2020-03-11}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46524946/the-missoulian/|title=Army|date=1996-12-08|work=The Missoulian|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=47|via=Newspapers.com}} McGuire was a radio/television major at UM and a member of the cheerleading squad, the school's Women's Rugby Club, and was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46526130/the-missoulian/|title=Candidates Selected for Military Ball|date=1978-01-30|work=The Missoulian|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=7|via=Newspapers.com}} Also at the university, she was involved in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). McGuire was a member of the 279th Engineer Company at Fort Missoula through the ROTC Simultaneous Membership Program. At that time her father, William McGuire, was the first sergeant of the company.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cid.army.mil/commander.html|title=USACIDC Commanding General|website=U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302170351/http://www.cid.army.mil/commander.html|archive-date=2010-03-02|access-date=2010-02-17}}

McGuire was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army Military Police Corps in 1979 upon graduation from the University of Montana.{{Cite web|url=http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/15/32999-first-woman-becomes-army-provost-marshal-general/index.html|title=First Woman Becomes Army Provost Marshal General|last=Castro|first=Jeffrey|date=15 January 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224061948/http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/01/15/32999-first-woman-becomes-army-provost-marshal-general/index.html|archive-date=2010-02-24|access-date=2010-02-17}} She first served in Germany with the 709th Military Police Battalion. In 1989, McGuire worked as a staff officer for the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs in The Pentagon. She was deployed to Somalia in 1993 and 1994. McGuire was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1996. She became the commander of the 705th Military Police Battalion in Fort Leavenworth in 1998.

When the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth were re-opened in 2002, McGuire became the first woman in charge of the prison.{{Cite news|last=Borman|first=Dawn|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46513845/the-leaf-chronicle/|title=New Leavenworth Military Prison Unveiled|date=2002-09-26|work=The Leaf-Chronicle|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=13|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fortleavenworthcastle.com/General_Colleen_McGuire.html|title=Saga of Fort Leavenworth Castle|website=Fort Leavenworth Castle|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20100709214946/http://www.fortleavenworthcastle.com/General_Colleen_McGuire.html|archive-date=2010-07-09|access-date=2010-02-17}} She went on to work as the assistant commandant of the United States Army Military Police School. Starting in 2007, McGuire served 18 months as the provost marshal of the multinational corps in Iraq. She was the first woman to serve as a provost marshal in the United States. McGuire was also the senior advisor to the corps commander stationed in Baghdad. In Iraq, she took fire while traveling by convoy and was there when a bullet passed through her barracks. In 2008, she was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Jamie|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46525349/the-missoulian/|title=UM Grad Named 'Top Cop'|date=2010-02-01|work=The Missoulian|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=A1|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|last=Kelly|first=Jamie|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46524946/the-missoulian/|title=Army|date=1996-12-08|work=The Missoulian|access-date=2020-03-11|pages=6A|via=Newspapers.com}} Also in 2008, she led the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force.

File:Brig._Gen._Colleen_McGuire_takes_oath_of_office_in_Washington_DC_in_2010.jpg McGuire became the 13th Provost Marshal General of the Army, and first woman to hold the office, on 15 January 2010, commanding the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID).{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/32999/first_woman_becomes_army_provost_marshal_general|title = First woman becomes Army provost marshal general}}

In 2012, McGuire retired from the army. The next year, she started working for Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel to help him study sexual assault in the army. McGuire also worked as the Executive Director of Delta Gamma fraternity in Columbus, Ohio.Phillips, Jeb. [https://www.dispatch.com/article/20130211/NEWS/302119672 "Ex-general leads fellow women to help vets"], The Columbus Dispatch, February 11, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2020. In 2014, she moved to Kalispell, Montana, to spend more time with family. McGuire also owns a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailyinterlake.com/local_news/20190308/veteran_inducted_into_womens_foundation_hall_of_fame/|title=Veteran Inducted Into Women's Foundation Hall of Fame|date=8 March 2019|work=Daily Inter Lake|access-date=12 March 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607142509/https://www.dailyinterlake.com/local_news/20190308/veteran_inducted_into_womens_foundation_hall_of_fame/|archive-date=7 June 2019}}

McGuire was awarded the Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star Medal, among other military decorations and awards.

In 2010 McGuire was awarded the University of Montana Distinguished Alumni Award.{{Cite web|url=http://news.umt.edu/2010/07/072810daas.aspx|title=UM To Honor Four Distinguished Alums At Homecoming|website=UM News – The University Of Montana|language=en|access-date=2020-03-11}}

In 2019, McGuire was inducted into the US Army Women's Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://www.awfdn.org/hall-of-fame/us-army-womens-hall-of-fame-inductees/|title=US Army Women's Hall of Fame Inductees|website=Army Women's Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-12}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgzDPbR-Wq8 Engaging the leadership (U.S. Army Suicide Prevention Task Force, part 1)] 2010 video

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Category:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War

Category:Female generals of the United States Army

Category:Living people

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Delta Gamma

Category:University of Montana alumni

Category:21st-century American women