Newly elected National Commander Delphine Metcalf-Foster served during the Gulf War. An Armytrained combat medic, Metcalf-Foster was assigned to the graves registration unit in Saudi Arabia.

Like many reservists serving at that time, Metcalf- Foster was recalled to active duty. She was one of more than 40,000 servicewomen deployed to Southwest Asia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1990, women only made up 11 percent of active-duty military personnel, 13 percent of the Reserve forces and had limited job opportunities based on gender. But that was about to change. Media covered women at war working side by side with their male colleagues, often in command roles. The Gulf War proved that servicewomen risked their lives just as their male counterparts did, regardless of being assigned to noncombat positions. Thirteen servicewomen were killed and two became prisoners of war.

As a result of the Gulf War, women made strides in breaking down the gender barriers in the military. Combat aviation opened to women in 1991, and two years later, women could serve aboard combat ships.