Brigadier General Laura Yeager, a former Black Hawk pilot who served in Iraq, will make history June 29th when she becomes the first woman to command an Army infantry division.

Yeager, who grew up in a military family, was commissioned a second lieutenant while serving in California State University’s ROTC program in 1986, ABC news reported

When Yeager completed pilot training, she was assigned as a Black Hawk helicopter used for medical evacuations.

She left active duty after her son was born, but remained in the California Army National Guard. In 2011 she was deployed to Iraq.

Her most recent assignment was commander of Joint Task Force North in Fort Bliss, Tex.

Her father, Ret. Maj. Gen. Robert Brandt, was also a helicopter pilot who served two tours during the Vietnam War and became a top commander in the California National Guard. He retired in 1999 after four decades of service.