SAN ANTONIO – For the first time in the Texas Ranger’s 200-year history, a woman has earned the rank of Texas Ranger Major.
Wende O. Wakeman now serves as the major of Texas Ranger Company “F” in Waco. She oversees 27 Rangers and three lieutenants across the region that spans just south of Dallas to south of San Antonio, encompassing the central part of the state, according to a press release.
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“It is an unbelievable honor to have the opportunity to serve the citizens of this great state and to lead my fellow Texas Rangers in this capacity,” said Major Wakeman.
“This moment in Ranger history is only possible because of the dedication and the sacrifice of so many that have come before, along with the incredible strides made by this organization over the years. I will strive to do my very best to represent the men and women of this department every day,” Wakeman said.
Wakeman joined the Texas DPS in 1998 as a Highway Patrol Trooper in Sulphur Springs and New Caney before being promoted to narcotics sergeant in 2003.
She then joined the Rangers in Conroe before being promoted to lieutenant in Laredo in 2014, marking the first time in agency history that a woman was promoted to the rank of Ranger lieutenant.
She transferred to Huntsville in 2015, and in 2020, Wakeman was promoted to captain.
Wakeman served at Texas Ranger Headquarters in Austin until her promotion to Texas Ranger Major.