Gwendolyn A. Foster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | |
| Service years | 1988–1996 (Army)
|
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Commands | 412th Medical Group 60th Medical Group |
| Conflicts | Iraq War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit (3) Meritorious Service Medal (4) |
Gwendolyn A. Foster is anU.S. Air Force brigadier general, nurse practitioner, and midwife. She is the director of staff to thesurgeon general of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force and the 19th chief nurse of theU.S. Air Force Nurse Corps. Foster is the first Black female on active duty to become a general officer in theUnited States Air Force Medical Service.
Foster was born and raised inSpringfield, Illinois.[1] In 1988, at age 17, Foster joined theIllinois Army National Guard and served as a field medic in theArmy Guard andReserves until her honorable discharge in 1997.[1][2] She earned a B.S. in nursing from theUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore in 1995.[2] Afterwards, she earned her M.S. in nursing (midwifery) from theUniversity of Cincinnati and worked as acertified nurse-midwife (CNM) for two years.[2]
She entered active dutyU.S. Air Force as a captain on November 15, 2001.[2] She earned a M.A. in military operation art and science from theAir Command and Staff College in 2012 and a M.A. in strategic military studies at theAir War College in 2018.[2] In 2022, Foster became the director of staff to thesurgeon general of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.[2] As the director of staff on matters pertaining to the medical aspects of the air expeditionary force and the health of Airmen and Guardians.[2] She is the first Black female on active duty to become a general officer in theUnited States Air Force Medical Service.[1] Foster also serves as the 19thchief nurse of the Air Force, responsible for establishing policies and maintaining programs for 19,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve nursing personnel.[2] She is the first Black nurse to hold this position.[1]
Foster is a fellow of theAmerican Association of Nurse Practitioners,American College of Nurse-Midwives, and theAmerican Academy of Nursing (2024).[2][3]
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