Allegany County women in the military

A 1965 graduate of Allegany High School, Marjorie Hobrock enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 during the Vietnam War era. Sgt. Hobrock served stateside and worked in communications.

Since that time women have played an increasingly important role in the armed forces. In March 2005, about 350,000 women were serving in the U.S. military, almost 15% of active duty personnel, one in seven soldiers. (From: NPR Radio, Wounded in War: The Women Serving in Iraq, March 14, 2005).

By May 2009 over 206,000 women had served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East since March 2003. There are no front lines, and women have frequently served in combat. Over 600 women have been wounded and, according to the Department of Defense, 104 have died. This is more than the Korean, Vietnam, and first Gulf Wars combined. At this time one of ten soldiers in Iraq is a woman. (Sources: "The Plight of Women Soldiers", The Nation Magazine, by Helen Benedict, May 5, 2009 and salon.com, March 3, 2007)

Local women currently serving in the armed forces include Air Force Tech Sgt. Jill Harper-Gordon. A 1991 Allegany High School graduate Jill is a flight test aerial photographer for the 46th Test Wing, 40th Flight Test Squadron. Her outstanding aerial photography of aircraft test missions has resulted in numerous weapon and aircraft related aerodynamic engineering modifications. Among her duty stations has been South Korea. In June 2007, Jill Harper-Gordon, flight test aerial photographer for the 46th Test Wing, 40th Flight Test Squadron, US Air Force, was promoted to Master Sergeant. The July 15, 2016 edition of the Cumberland Times-News reported that Jill Victor had been recently promoted to Senior Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. At the current time she was serving as the Superintendent for the 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. In that capacity she is the personal adviser to the public affairs chief on all policy and oversees public affairs support to four wings, Headquarters Air Combat Command and 30 tenant units.

A 2001 graduate of Fort Hill High School, Jaime Brant graduated as a Marine Second Lieutenant from the United States Naval Academy in 2005. As of 2007 she was serving with the 2nd. Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq.

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Note: According to an article appearing in the Cumberland Times-News on March 21, 2011, as of February 1, 2011, 137 service women have died in the defense of our nation since September 11, 2001. A recent article in the Frederick News-Post noted by spring 2013 145 women had been killed out of the approximately two million troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. As of May 2014 that number is about 155. See Hood professor pens book about military women killed in Iraq, Afghanistan