For CMCers, commemorating Veterans Day offers an opportunity to honor those who have served in the U.S. military, while simultaneously paying tribute to the many veterans who helped shape the College’s early days and the course of its future.
When the College was founded in 1946, GIs re-entering civilian life brought energy and purpose to campus. Their military experiences—students, faculty and even CMC’s founding President George C.S. Benson P’61—further influenced the College’s mission to prepare students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions.
Thirty years later, the first women students began attending CMC, with some taking part in the ROTC program. Their arrival in 1976 marked another moment of transformative impact for the College’s future, while offering these women myriad opportunities to pursue careers in leadership, including in the military.
This Veterans Day, as we mark 50 years of Co-Education at CMC, learn more about three eras of alumnae who served with honor in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Deborah Hasty ’78, the first CMC female student to participate in ROTC, was also among the first female CMC graduates, and a founding member of the Athenas basketball team. Hasty won an ROTC scholarship, earned the title of Distinguished Military Graduate, and also became the first CMC female to be commissioned from the ROTC. Upon graduating, Hasty felt a surge of pride when her father—himself a military veteran—pinned her gold second lieutenant bars onto her uniform.
After CMC, Hasty received an Army commission, embarking upon a military career that included a three-year tour of duty in Germany, a promotion to Captain, and 27 months as a Company Commander. “I was successful because I emphasized training and witnessed the significant progress my soldiers and platoon leaders made under my tenure,” she said.
Hasty later attended the Combined Arms and Services Staff School training course, and taught several courses in senior officer logistics management for soon-to-be Battalion Commanders. After departing the Army, Hasty accepted a position with the Naval Telecommunications Command, supporting information technology projects. She retired from Space and Warfare Command as a Division Executive Officer in 2011 and began volunteering as a seasonal worker in the Office of Elections Absentee Branch for Fairfax County, eventually segueing to a staff position. She is now fully retired.
Miemie (Winn) Byrd ’89 arrived at CMC as a transfer student, after earning an ROTC scholarship. She excelled at the College, and for two consecutive years was awarded the General Omar Bradley Scholarship.
Byrd was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1989 and went on to serve for 28 years, including assignments at U.S. Pacific Command supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and serving as a linguist and cultural advisor for U.S. delegations throughout the Indo-Pacific. Byrd retired with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and joined the Daniel K. Inouye Asian-Pacific Center for Security Studies in 2007. Currently, her work focuses on security dynamics in Southeast Asia.
On Veterans Day 2026, Byrd returned to the Ath (where she was a student server) to lead a discussion, “What an Unexpected Life of Service Taught Me.” Drawing on her experiences as a soldier, leader, educator, immigrant, and Burmese American, Byrd shared lessons about unexpected opportunities and identities, defining success from within, persevering through failure, and leading with character, kindness, and respect.
Kendra Henderson ’09 comes from a CMC military family. Her father, Robert Henderson ’80 P’09 P’14 P’14, served for 20 years in the Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Her younger twin brothers, Remington Henderson ’14 and Cortland Henderson ’14, also served in the U.S. Army. Henderson was drawn to CMC for its stellar reputation in the sciences and preparing students to become physicians. Influenced in part by her father’s career, she opted for Air Force ROTC.
Upon graduation from CMC, Henderson was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. She took part in Intelligence Officer training and was eventually assigned as an intelligence officer to the 30th Airlift Squadron in Cheyenne, Wyo. Six months into her new job, she received deployment orders, sending her to Kandahar, Afghanistan, assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing. Henderson flew in C-130 aircraft with her squadron and gave daily intelligence briefings.
After deployment, Henderson returned to Wyoming and completed a Master of Arts degree in molecular biology. While serving in the Air Force, her desire to become a physician never waned. After leaving the service with four years of active duty as a First Lieutenant, and a promotion to Captain, she completed medical school at East Tennessee State University. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, where she also serves as a resident physician.