Her office phone rang like it does every day.

But something about the conversations changed.

On Tuesday morning, she answered it like this: "Lt. Col. Wilz."

On Tuesday afternoon, this was the greeting: "Col. Wilz."

"It feels pretty good to say that," she said.

Giselle "Gigi"Wilz, an officer in the North Dakota National Guard since she was 19, earned the rank of colonel on Tuesday.

She became the first woman in the state to come up through the ranks of the Army National Guard and achieve "full-bird" status.

"It's a big thing to me that I'm the first one; I'm proud of that," Wilz said. "Hopefully what I've done will help pave the way for other women who want to do it."

Wilz, 41, became one of the youngest N.D. Guard officers ever when she received her commission in 1986. She deployed to the Middle East in 1990 for Operation Desert Storm, and has held jobs of increasing responsibility since. She's now second in command of operations for the Guard's joint force headquarters.

"It feels like it's been forever, but it also feels like I was just a 1st lieutenant," Wilz said.

The promotion ceremony was held at the Bismarck home of Wilz's parents, Charles and Marilyn Wilz. Her dad assisted Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, commander of the North Dakota National Guard, in the promotion.

"The Wilz family gives new meaning to the term 'National Guard family,'" Sprynczynatyk said.

Charles Wilz joined the Guard in 1949, and served in Korea. His sons Greg, Grant and Gary also have served in the Guard.

Combined, the Wilz family has given 144 years of military service.

"I grew up thinking that's just what you did,"Gigi Wilz said. "I was never forced into anything, but once that ball got rolling, the next thing you know, today happened."

Being pinned with the bird wings by her father was a great experience, Wilz said.

"Ithink the best part of it was my dad told me he was proud of me," she said. "Coming from a guy who has given so much service, that pretty much is remarkable to me."

Wilz is on track to retire in a little more than five years, when she's 46. But the first North Dakota woman to become a colonel in the state Guard might want to crash through another glass ceiling.

"My dad does not think I'm done at colonel,"Wilz said. "I've thought of that, too. I always wanted to be a colonel. That to me is a great success. Anything beyond this would be an extreme bonus."

Maybe she will attain a higher rank. Maybe she'll get that star on her shoulder.

At this point, you have to figure where there's a Wilz, there's a way.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com.)