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Carol A. Mutter
Mutter at the United States Marine Barracks in February 2014
Birth nameCarol Ann Schneider[1]
Born (1945-12-17) December 17, 1945 (age 79)
Greeley, Colorado, US
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1967–1999
RankLieutenant General
Commands3rd Force Service Support Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force
Marine Corps Systems Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico
AwardsNavy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Alma mater
  • University of Northern Colorado
    • B.A. in Mathematics
    • Doctorate (honorary)
  • Naval War College
    • M.A. in National Security & Strategic Studies
  • Salve Regina University
    • M.S. in Business
    • Doctorate (honorary)
Spouse(s)Colonel James Mutter, USMC[2][3]
Other work
  • National Advisory Council of the Alliance for National Defense
  • National Academy of Sciences Committee on American Youth Population and Military Recruiting
  • Women Marines Association (president)
  • Neah Power[3]

Carol A. Mutter (née Schneider) (born December 17, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. She is the first woman in the history of the United States Armed Forces to be nominated to be a three-star general, and the first female Marine be promoted to three-star rank.[4][5] She retired from the Marine Corps on January 1, 1999 after 31 years of service.[4] Her last active duty assignment was as Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DC/S, M&RA) at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C..[5] After retiring, she has served in an advisory capacity for various military organizations, as well as consulting in the private sector.[3]

Early life and education

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Mutter was born Carol Ann Schneider on December 17, 1945, in Greeley, Colorado to Hedwig (née Spaedt) and Albert Schneider.[1] She grew up on a farm in Colorado, where her parents were sharecroppers.[4] She graduated from Eaton High School in Eaton, Colorado in 1963.[6]

She entered Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado), intending to become a teacher. She became interested in mathematics and sciences, where her classes had predominantly male students, including many former military attending in the G.I. Bill.[7] During the summer between her junior and senior years, she attended a ten-week Women Officer Candidate Course (WOCC) in Quantico, Virginia.[8] She entered her senior year to complete her student teaching requirements. She received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education.[9][4][10][7] in 1967. Instead of going into teaching, the day before graduation,[9] she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, with a three-year commitment.[8]

Mutter later earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island and a Master of Science in Business from Salve Regina University in Newport. In addition, she has honorary doctorates from the University of Northern Colorado and Salve Regina University.[5]

Mutter also attended the Amphibious Warfare School and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, both at Quantico, Virginia.[5]

Military career

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Mutter at change of command ceremony for 3rd FSSG as a brigadier general in May 1994.

After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado, Mutter completed the Woman Officer Basic Course in 1967 at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Her first assignment was to the data processing installations at Quantico, Virginia, and then in Camp Pendleton, California.[5]

During 1973–1984, Mutter progressed to the rank of lieutenant colonel while serving as Project Officer for Marine Air Command and Control Systems at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity at Camp Pendleton, California; Financial Management Officer at the Development Center, Quantico, Virginia; Assistant Chief of Staff, Comptroller, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan; and Deputy Comptroller at Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1985, capitalizing on her expertise in both data processing and financial management, she was assigned as the Deputy Program Manager, and subsequently Program Manager, for the development of new Marine Corps automated pay and personnel systems for active duty, retired, and reserve Marines.[5]

In July 1988, as a colonel, Mutter joined the United States Space Command, J-3 (Operations) Directorate in Colorado Springs becoming the first woman to gain qualification as a Space Director. After initially serving as a Command Center Crew Commander/Space Director she became the Division Chief responsible for the operation of the Space Command Commander in Chief's Command Center.[5]

In August 1990, Mutter was transferred to III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) on Okinawa, Japan for duty as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Comptroller for both III MEF and the 3rd Marine Division.

In 1991, Mutter was promoted to brigadier general,[11] and in June, returned to Quantico as a to serve as the Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Systems Command and Program Manager for Command and Control Systems. In June 1992, she again transferred to Okinawa, this time as the first woman of general/flag officer rank to command a major deployable tactical command, the 3rd Force Service Support Group (FSSG),[a] III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific.

Carol Mutter pinned with the rank of lieutenant general by Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. C.C. Krulak (left), assisted by her husband (right) and mother.
Mutter as a lieutenant general.

In June 1994, she became the first woman in the Marine Corps to be promoted to the rank of major general (O-9) and served as Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command at Marine Corps Base Quantico until August 1996.

On September 1, 1996, Mutter was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed the duties as Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DC/S M&RA).[5] Of her time at M&RA, she said: "I had the great fortune as lieutenant general to be in charge of Manpower Reserve Affairs [DC/S, M&RA] for the Marine Corps, so I could impact policies and programs for all of our Marines, active and reserve, and also for our families and for our civilian Marines as well....it gave me the tremendous opportunity to make life better."[12]

On January 1, 1999, Lieutenant General Mutter retired from the Marine Corps after 31 years of active service.[b][12][5] Upon retirement, she reflected on the progress of women in the Marine Corps, saying: "Women in [the] military have come a long way in my 31 years. We still have more progress to make, but it won’t and shouldn’t all happen overnight! Sometimes when we walk up to that door of opportunity and find it’s locked we may be tempted to blast it open. I’ve learned to be careful—by blasting it down, we could destroy what we’re trying to get on the other side. . . . There are still challenges, but women today are holding their own, and then some, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and around the world."[14]

Post-military career

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[edit]

Mutter served as the president of the Women Marines Association from 2000 to 2004, then served on the board from 2004 to 2008 as the past-president.[15] Mutter joined the WMA as an active duty second lieutenant and, a WMA Life Member, continued to be involved after completing her term on the board.[15]

During the George W. Bush administration, Bush appointed Mutter to serve on the American Battle Monuments Commission.[16] She was also appointed to the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS), which she chaired fro 2002 to 2006.[17] DACOWITS is "composed of civilian women and men appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the Armed Forces of the United States."[18]

Mutter also served on the Advisory Board of the Indiana Council on World Affairs, the Indiana State (legislative) Commission on Military and Veterans Affairs, as well as being a Senior Fellow at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.[3]

Civilian roles

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Mutter has served as a consultant for IBM, Raytheon, and Revision Eyewear.[3]

In 2008, Carol Mutter and her husband, James Mutter, joined the strategic advisory board of Neah Power Systems, a developer of fuel cells for military applications.[19]

Personal life

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Carol and James Mutter (2014)
Carol and James Mutter (2014)

Mutter is married to James M. Mutter, who retired from the Marine Corps in July 1993, after 36 years of service,[3] at the rank of colonel.[20][2][3] He retired from the Marine Corps to support his wife in her Marine Corps career.[21] Colonel Mutter

In 2008, Mutter spoke at the Republican National Convention in support of Senator John McCain, the party's nominee for president. [22]

Awards, recognitions, honors

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Military

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Firsts

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In Mutter's career in the military, she achieved a number of firsts:[11]

  • First woman to qualify as Command Center Crew Commander/Space Director at U.S. Space Command.
  • First woman of flag rank to command a major deployable tactical command.
  • First female Corp Marine major general, and senior female in all the services at that time. (1994)[23]
  • First female in the U.S. military to be nominated to receive three stars.[c][d][25]
  • First female lieutenant general in the Marine Corps (September 1, 1996)

Military decorations

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Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
w/ 1 service star 		National Defense Service Medal
w/ 1 service star 		Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
w/ 4 service stars

Civilian honors and recognitions

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Mutter was honored by her alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) — first in 1992 when she was given the Trail Blazer Honored Alumni Award, and in 1994, when she was chosen to be the UNC's commencement speaker.[9]

Mutter is the recipient of the 1998 Living Legacy Patriot Award from Women's International Center,[26] "a non-profit education and service foundation [501c3] with the mission to ‘Acknowledge, Honor, Encourage and Educate Women’".[27]

In 2004, Mutter was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.[28] Born and raised in Colorado, she was chosen for making "significant and enduring contributions to her field", elevating "the status of women... in society", and inspiring "others as a role model".[29]

In 2017, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, the United States' "oldest organization honoring American women".[30][31][32]

See also

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Endnotes

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  1. ^ the 3rd FSSG is now the 3rd Marine Logistics Group (MLG).
  2. ^ Mutter's retirement ceremony at MCB Quantico, presided over by General Charles C. Krulak (Commandant of the Marine Corps), was held on November 6, 1998 in conjunction with the Marine Corps birthday celebration.[13]
  3. ^ In March 1996, President Bill Clinton nominated Mutter to receive three-stars. In May 1996, Patricia A. Tracey, U.S. Navy, was nominated to receive her third star.[24]
  4. ^ Notably, the Marine Corps has historically had a lower percentage of female officer amongst the U.S. military branches.[25]

References

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
  1. ^ a b "Tributes for Jan. 16". Greeley Tribune. January 25, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Dufour, Tia (February 21, 2014). "Home of the Commandants dinner: Image 47 of 68". DVIDS. Defense Imagery Management Operations Center. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Neah Power Names Retired Marines Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter and Col. James Mutter to Strategic Advisory Board: Company adds military expertise to assist with defense markets". February 26, 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d "Carol A. Mutter". National Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Who's Who in Marine Corps History". Marine Corps Historical Division. United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2009-02-07. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
  6. ^ Frei, Terry (November 4, 2018). "Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, from Eaton and UNC, returning to salute Marine Corps' birthday, Veteran's Day". Greeley Tribune. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Waldrop 2016, p. 91.
  8. ^ a b Waldrop 2016, p. 92.
  9. ^ a b c Tapp, Lori (1996). "Room at the Top:General Carol Mutter (BA-67)" (PDF). Spectrum. University of Northern Colorado. pp. 7–8. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  10. ^ Sterner 2018, p. 131.
  11. ^ a b Hayes, Keith (16 Mar 2019). "First female Lt. Gen. in U.S. Armed Forces". United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Brofer, Cpl. Jennifer (February 20, 2004). "Lt. Gen. Mutter speaks at WMA dinner". In the News. MCRD Parris Island: Marine Corps Training and Education Command (TECOM), United States Marine Corps. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. ^ "A Day Full of Ceremony". Washington Post. November 6, 1998. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  14. ^ Anderson 2018, p. 165.
  15. ^ a b Are You a Member. Women Marines Association. Oct 13, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2025 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ "George W. Bush Administration 2001-2009". The Commission. American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Jontz, Sandra (June 6, 2004). "Final appointees named to DOD women's panel". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Overview: Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  19. ^ "Neah Power Names Retired Marines Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter and Col. James Mutter to Strategic Advisory Board". Bothell, Washington: NanoTech Now. February 27, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  20. ^ Waldrop, Marianne S. (2016). "Chapter 4: Case Studies — Lieutenant General Carol A. (Wiescamp) Mutter, USMC, Ret.". Understanding Women Leaders in a Male-Dominated Profession: A Study of the United States Marine Corps' Women Generals (Ph.D. thesis). University of San Diego. pp. 89–100. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  21. ^ Dell, Rebecca (December 21, 2020). "General Wisdom: Lessons from the U.S. Marine Corps' first woman three-star general". From the Vault. University of Northern Colorado. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  22. ^ "Retired Indiana Marine Lt. Gen. Speaks at RNC - TheIndyChannel.com Indianapolis, IN". Archived from the original on 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  23. ^ Iskra 2007, p. 241.
  24. ^ "Top Navy woman takes over chief of training job". Tampa Bay Times. July 11, 1996. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Youssef 2019.
  26. ^ "Lieutenant General Carol A. Mutter". Living Legacy Award Recipient Biographies. Women’s International Center. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  27. ^ "About Us". Women's International Center. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  28. ^ "Lt Gen Carol Mutter". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. 2004.
  29. ^ "Criteria for Induction into the Hall". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  30. ^ "Ten women added to National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca". Syracuse, NY: (WSYR) Syracuse News - Localsyr.com. 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
  31. ^ "Carol A. Mutter (1945- )". Introducing the 2017 NWHF Inductees. National Women's Hall of Fame. February 7, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  32. ^ Moody, Sgt Annika (September 19, 2017). Marine Minute, September 19, 2017. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  33. ^ "RAdm Patricia A. Tracey, U.S. Navy". U.S. Department of Defense. May 13, 1996. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  34. ^ "Women in the Navy: 1980s-1990s". United States Navy. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  35. ^ "Clinton Nominates First Female Three-Star Army General". AP. March 25, 1997. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  36. ^ Giles, Bethany (January 2, 2024). "Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. shares value of leadership". Auburn University. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  37. ^ "Lieutenant General Leslie F. Kenne". Biographies. United States Air Force. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  38. ^ "Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno promoted and transfers into U.S. Space Force". August 17, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2025.

Sources:

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carol A. Mutter.


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