Stopping in NYC for a night at the Leader to Leader Institute, I had the honor of meeting the extraordinary leader, Brig. General Belinda Pinckney. She's another inspiring yet humble American with a big dream: she became the first African-American woman to be inducted into the Officer Candidate School's Hall of Fame. She's also one of only two African-American generals and one of only a dozen or so female generals in the United States Army.

"We need to continue to tell the stories of our past, so that every generation will know and learn from them, because we as a country are not particularly proud of some of this history," she noted. "We don’t want to repeat the bad history, and we want to tell the stories of the good history."

As the general begins her thirty-second year in the military, she has an impressive collection of honors to her name: the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legion of Merit medals, six Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff Badge and the General Staff Identification Badge.

In September 2004, Colonel Pinckney was nominated by the Army to become a general. She was the first woman in the history of the Army Finance Corps to be promoted to general officer. She again emphasizes the importance of passing along stories such as hers, so succeeding generations will know and grow from them.

"Many contributions of women have gone unrecognized, the stories of their struggles and triumphs remain untold," she said earnestly.

As the first woman to head the Family and Morale Command, General Pinckney now has many sleepless nights. She sees no soon end to the war and worries constantly about the families of the soldiers serving in the Middle East and around the world. She can often be found visiting with wounded soldiers and their families in Washington's Walter Reed Hospital.