From America’s North Shore Journal, here are our picks for the most inspiring women of 2008.

1. Spc. Monica Lin Brown: Awarded a Silver Star for her courage under fire as a combat medic.
2. Spc. Sarah Nickol: Awarded the Army Achievement Medal for her courage under fire as a combat medic.
3. Pfc. Perla Pedroza: Awarded a Bronze Star Medal with V Device for valor and a Purple Heart for her actions under fire, rescuing a fellow soldier from a burning vehicle.
4. Cmdr. Heidi Squier Kraft: Kraft held MoH winner Jason Dunham’s hand as he lay dying. Her book on her tour is highly recommended.
5. Col. (Dr.) Loree Sutton: Commanding the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, providing state of the art care to our wounded.
6. Army CWO’s Amber and Lacey Smith and Air Force Capt. Kelly Smith: Three sisters flying in combat. All three were in Afghanistan at the same time at one point.
7. Senior Airmen Rosie Munoz and Michelle Kendall: The only all-female 332nd ESFS Fly Away Security Team at Balad, Iraq.
8. Elizabeth Chacon: From Hollywood to Iraq, her medical skills are now being applied as a combat medic.
9. U.S. Public Health Service’s Lt. Elizabeth Leavitt: Deployed with USS Boxer for the Pacific phase of Operation Continuing Promise 2008. Providing assistance to the people of Latin America.
10. Sgt. Mitzi L. Porter: Deployed for Operation Beyond the Horizon. Providing veterinary services in Latin America and dodging vampire bats.