Megan Reaska, the first female Combat Engineer to enlist in the Iowa National Guard, at her swearing-in ceremony at the Military Entrance Processing Station, Camp Dodge in Johnston. With Reaska is her recruiter, Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Keeler from Iowa City. Submitted photo.

The first female to enlist as a combat engineer with the Iowa National Guard is a former resident of Washington. Megan Reaska, a 20-year-old University of Iowa sophomore, is the third woman to join an Iowa National Guard combat arms unit.

Reaska explains after her first year of college she began to think about the military more frequently but wanted to attend school, by being in the National Guard she can do both. She moved to Washington in 2003 and then moved back to Illinois with her father after attending the eighth grade.

This summer she will attend basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, followed by 15 weeks of Advanced Individual Training. She plans to return to the University of Iowa for the spring 2017 semester to finish her Bachelor of Arts degree.

On December 3rd, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception, beginning in January.