Col. Mary Ann Krussa-Dossin ’74 admits she wasn’t always wanted around during the 27 years she wore a Marine uniform. Some didn’t like her being a military police officer. Or a pregnant woman on duty. Or even being a Marine in the first place.

“I fought it. I told an officer senior to me that I thought I could do my duty while pregnant and I would convince his superior if I had to,” recalled Krussa-Dossin, now the deputy director of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

But she never quit, and the Corps is glad she didn’t.

The 27-year military veteran now has earned a title she shares with only four other women in the Marines — general. In February, Krussa-Dossin will be promoted to director of Public Affairs, a post that carries the billet of brigadier general, or one-star general.

And, in a first for the Marines, she’ll be the first general who is also a mom.

“All of the junior officers who are MPs now feel they have something to brag about,” she said. “That says something about how the Marines have changed.”

At work, Krussa-Dossin is one of the official spokespersons for the Corps, handling media requests and specializing in community outreach. But at home, she is wife to husband Paul, a retired Marine chief warrant officer who served more than 30 years, and son Daniel, who is now 22 and in the Peace Corps.

“I had such great support through all of my career from Paul and our friends. There were crazy years, but it was all worth it,” she said.