Brigadier General Paige B. Hunter wasn't in her office when Major General James Hoyer was looking for her Friday.
Instead, she was out practicing for the ceremony that would make her the first woman brigadier general in West Virginia National Guard history.
"Paige, I think, is a little nervous," Hoyer said at the ceremony at the McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston, Saturday. "As a matter of fact, I know she's nervous."
But the nerves were replaced by a big smile and a hug after Hunter was officially named brigadier general in front of her family, the National Guard and many community and military leaders.
Hunter began her military career in 1983 when she was sworn in as a second lieutenant. From there, she worked her way up, serving in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield and eventually earning the rank of colonel and now brigadier general.
Her father, retired Brig. Gen. Bob Parish, and her husband, retired Lt. Col. Rick Hunter, pinned the stars onto her uniform as her mother looked on. They gave her a blue flag with a white star in the middle and yellow fringe adornment.
"It takes a whole lot of people for the success of our journeys," Hunter said. "It's a group effort."
She then went on to thank her family and the people that she worked with for helping her along the way.
"You are my hero," Hunter said to her husband, Rick, as she fought back tears. "You are my rock. You are the center of my love. I have no words to truly tell or show you how deeply I love you and appreciate you."
Hunter also talked about mentors, saying that you can be mentored by people no matter what rank or position they are in.
"If someone is trying to mentor you, take heed," Hunter said. "They think you're worth the time and effort."
Hunter may have gotten help along the way, but it was her hard work that enabled her to earn the rank of general, a rank that she never even dreamed about when entering the military, speakers at the ceremony said.
"The person on top of the mountain did not fall there," Sen. Joe Manchin said. "She did not fall on the mountain. She climbed her way up."
Manchin complimented Hunter on her leadership and compassion during Hurricane Katrina, when the National Guard helped to welcome people displaced from their homes in New Orleans.
And while it was acknowledged that Hunter was the first female to make general in West Virginia, it wasn't the focus.
"Paige, while I applaud that you're the first female general," Hoyer said, "you're up here today because of what you accomplished in your career."
However, both Senator Manchin and Senator Capito, who was the first woman senator from West Virginia, talked about how important it is to have a woman general.
"For you to set the stage for some young lady to follow in your footsteps is pretty special," Manchin said.
One of those women was Dena Lentz, who has been in the service for around 18 years and worked for Hunter for a year.
"It feels good to know that one day I could be in that position," Lentz said. "She's sort of the pioneer for this state."
A line of people waited to congratulate Hunter after the ceremony and the fluorescent lighting of the airport hangar bounced off the brand new stars on her shoulders with each hug that she gave.
Reach Daniel Desrochers at dan.desrochers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or follow @drdesrochers on Twitter.