Mrs. Major General

“Female soldiers are no longer exotic creatures”

The highly decorated Sylvia Sperandio can draw on decades of experience in the healthcare sector and several military deployments abroad.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

58-year-old Sylvia Sperandio made history as the first female Major General in the Austrian Armed Forces. The "Krone" newspaper asked her for an interview on the occasion of International Women's Day and spoke to her about the women's quota in the army and whether there is a need for compulsory military service for women.

"Krone": You were one of the first women to take the plunge and join the army. Why did you decide to do so?
Sylvia Sperandio: It was in June 1998 when I enlisted in Mistelbach. The backstory is that years before I was the only civilian and woman to take part in a military emergency doctor course. That was only for military doctors, they were all male at the time. When it was decided that women could become soldiers, I was called by colleagues: "What about now? That would be something for you." Then I decided to do it and took the three-day entrance exam. That's when they realized that I might not be so unsuitable for a career as an officer. I thought to myself: "Do something else once, you can quit again." But I just stayed.