Women Serving in the Armed Forces

She may look like the girl next door, but Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall's camera has captured the horrors of war. After retiring from the Air Force in 2008, she is now pursuing a career as a civilian photographer and continues to go above and beyond the call of duty. She was awarded one of the military's highest honors—the Bronze Star—for pulling wounded soldiers to safety in the midst of an ambush.

Recalling her days on active duty, Stacy says she had to be prepared at all times. "You never know when situations are going to go bad," Stacy says. "And there have been several times where I had to put down the camera and put up the gun."