One of the highest-ranking women in the Defence Forces, Comdt Ciara Ware, joined the Army 20 years ago after doing her Leaving Cert at St Leo's secondary school in Carlow.
"At the time the Army didn't take female cadets every year but that year they did and I saw an ad and it appealed to me" she told The Irish Times.
"My father was really enthusiastic about it and said it would give me a great chance to further my education and to travel."
Comdt Ware, who is the student counsellor at the cadet school in the Curragh, hasn't look back since and has a lot to thank the Army for. She met her husband, Comdt Mark Prendergast, while they were in cadet school and they have three young children: Cian (6), Sam (3) and Lara (1).
"I have had two spells overseas with the Army, in Lebanon in 1995 and 1998 and they have been the highlights of my Army career - and that was before I had children."
While in the Army, Comdt Ware received a primary degree and more recently a higher degree. "Yes, I would say the Army is a good life for a woman and gives you great opportunities. But no more than any working mother in any other profession, decisions have to be made. If myself or Mark want to achieve to the next rank, we would probably have to do another tour abroad. So we may have to decide which of us takes the opportunity first!"
Comdt Ware said the training is tough, but in 20 years in the Army she has never been told she could not do something because she is a woman.
She has seen an increase in women joining the Army in recent years and in her student class women are performing very well. The top student in the last graduation class was a woman. "Females are well able to hold their own and are very confident."