19 Facts About Martha Rainville

Martha T Rainville is a retired US Air Force officer who attained the rank of major general.

Martha Rainville was the first woman in US history to become a state adjutant general when she served in that post with the Vermont National Guard.

Martha Rainville was born in New London, Connecticut while her father was serving in the United States Navy, and she was raised in Mississippi after her father's retirement.

Martha Rainville graduated from Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in 1975, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Mississippi.

Martha Rainville served on active duty from 1978 to 1984, then transferred to the New York Air National Guard.

Martha Rainville served in the Air Force Reserve before transferring to the Vermont Air National Guard.

Martha Rainville specialized in the planning and management of aircraft maintenance and advanced through the ranks to lieutenant colonel and commander of Vermont's 158th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

In February 1997, Martha Rainville won the Vermont General Assembly's election for adjutant general of the State of Vermont.

Martha Rainville became the first woman in US history to serve as head of a state's National Guard, and commanded the 3,800 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard until her retirement in 2006.

In 2005, Martha Rainville began consulting with members of the Republican and Democratic parties regarding a possible run for the US House of Representatives or the US Senate.

Martha Rainville was courted by members of both parties and announced in the spring of 2006 that she would run for Vermont's US House seat as a Republican, intending to base her campaign on government reform and ethics, homeland security, and a strong national defense.

Martha Rainville won the Republican nomination with 71 percent of the primary vote, to 28 for Mark Shepard, a member of the Vermont Senate.

Martha Rainville was the Republican nominee against Democrat Peter Welch for the seat Bernie Sanders was leaving to run for the US Senate.

Martha Rainville signed a Clean Campaign Pledge in which she vowed to not attack her opponent, and condemned negative TV ads by outside parties.

In 2007, Martha Rainville was appointed counselor to the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator and deputy administrator for Continuity Programs.

Martha Rainville was responsible for ensuring that FEMA performed its role as Lead Agent for Federal Executive Branch Continuity Programs and served until 2009.

Martha Rainville later served as Chief Operating Officer of Civil Support International LLC, a disaster preparedness and crisis response consulting firm.

Martha Rainville is the daughter of the late Nick and Lucille Trim of Port Gibson, Mississippi.

Martha Rainville was married to Norman Rainville, whom she met while both served in the Air Force; they had three children and divorced in 2003.