© 2025 KNAU Arizona Public Radio
Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Arizona Public Radio continues to integrate new audio software for both our news and classical services, which is resulting in some technical issues, including dead air, overlapping audio and other glitches. We are working to resolve these issues and appreciate your patience and continued support.

Tammy Smith: First Openly Gay U.S. General

Published August 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM MST
Army Brigadier General Tammy Smith, right, with her wife, Tracey Hepner.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Army Brigadier General Tammy Smith, right, with her wife, Tracey Hepner.

Army Reserve officer Tammy Smith was promoted to the position of Brigadier General on August 10, 2012. In doing so, she became the first gay general to serve openly in the U.S. military.

"I'm just so thrilled that I'm able at this point to present Tracy as my family," she tells NPR's Lynn Neary. "We're indeed a military family."

Gen. Smith talks about her career in the military and the significance of her recent promotion.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.