Lt. Col. Cheryl L. Becker, a former dental hygienist and now a medical service officer serving with the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency, was elected national dental surgeon for the Reserve Officers Association of the United States in Washington, D.C. She is the first female and first nondentist ever elected to that position, according to a news release from the association.
Becker, a resident of Burtonsville, Md., will focus on issues and policies dealing with dental health readiness affecting reserve component members of the armed forces.
She served eight years as an enlisted dental assistant and dental hygienist before attending Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Ga., where she graduated as a distinguished military graduate in May 1983. She served on active duty during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Becker holds a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., and a master's degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
