Kate Germano

Called 'too tough for the Marine Corps', Kate Germano made headlines in Spring 2015 when she took a principled stand and confronted systemic problems of gender bias and lowered expectations for women in the Marine Corps. A 20-year career Marine and combat veteran, she fought back and became a national figure by speaking out against discrimination and advocating for higher expectations and standards for women in the military. Her writing has been published in national media outlets to include the New York Times, Washington Post, San Diego Union Tribune, Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and more. She has also been featured on NPR, CSPAN, and PBS Newshour. Kate is married to Joe Plenzler, a retired Marine, and loves spending time with her three chickens and three cats- but not together!