US Navy skippers break gender barrier

CAPT Amy Bauernschmidt

Some “first” women are hitting the seas this week with the US Navy. First up is Captain Amy Bauerschmidt. She’s the first woman to skipper a US Navy fleet carrier. She took USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) out of San Diego this week on a planned deployment.

From Military.com;

The USS Abraham Lincoln made history on Monday as it departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment, the first-ever of a U.S. aircraft carrier skippered by a woman.

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt assumed command of the Abraham Lincoln in August. The ship departed with its strike group for a regularly scheduled deployment in support of global maritime security operations, according to a Monday news release from U.S. 3rd Fleet.

“These Sailors are incredible professionals who have trained exceptionally hard to ensure they are ready for any operational obligations required of us on deployment,” Bauernschmidt said in the release. “They are absolutely prepared for today’s deployment, and I have no doubt they will represent our nation proudly as we defend our national interests.”

A Milwaukee native, Bauernschmidt graduated with a bachelor’s in ocean engineering from the Naval Academy in 1994, the first graduating class in which women were allowed to serve aboard combatant ships and aircraft, according to the Navy. She earned a master’s at the Naval War College and was designated a naval aviator in 1996. She has 3,000 flight hours and numerous commendations, according to her Navy biography.

She was also the first female executive officer aboard a carrier when she stepped into that role aboard the Abraham Lincoln in August 2016.

Flanking the ship is Carrier Strike Group 3, which includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay and guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald, USS Gridley, USS Sampson and USS Spruance.

The strike group includes Carrier Air Wing 9, which 3rd Fleet described as “most advanced air wing in the Navy.”

The air wing includes Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, the first Marine Corps squadron of F-35C Lightning II fighter jets, along with squadrons of F-18 Super Hornets, EA-18 Growlers and other aircraft.

This is the second carrier deployment for the F-35C. The USS Carl Vinson went to sea with Navy squadrons in August.

The Abraham Lincoln last deployed in 2019 from its previous homeport of Norfolk, Va., operating first in European waters before heading to the Middle East, where it operated in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.

CDR Billie Farrell

Next came the news that Commander Billie Farrell has been selected as the new captain for Old Ironsides herself, USS Constitution, the world’s oldest ship of any type still afloat, the the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship.

From Navy.mil;

USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer will take command of Old Ironsides during a change-of-command ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21, at noon.

Constitution’s current and 76th commanding officer, Cmdr. John Benda, will be relieved by Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell.

USS Constitution will be closed during the ceremony but will reopen to public visitation 2-4 p.m.

As the 77th commanding officer of USS Constitution, Farrell will become the first woman to serve as captain in the ship’s 224-year history, dating back to 1797.

“I am honored to have the privilege to soon command this iconic warship that dates back to the roots of both our nation and our Navy and to have been afforded the amazing opportunity to serve as USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer in her 224 years,” said Farrell. “I hope to strengthen the legacy of USS Constitution through preservation, promotion and protection by telling her story and connecting it to the rich heritage of the United States Navy and the warships serving in the fleet today.”

Farrell previously served as the executive officer aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69).

She is a native of Paducah, Kentucky, and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Arkansas.

As USS Constitution’s crew welcomes Farrell, they will say farewell to the ship’s current commanding officer.

“I know the crew is in great hands with Commander Farrell,” said Benda. “This historic barrier is long overdue to be broken. I cannot think of a better candidate to serve as USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer. I look forward to watching what she and the crew accomplish in the next few years.”

USS Constitution partners with the USS Constitution Museum to promote maritime heritage, naval service and the legacy of Old Ironsides.

“The USS Constitution Museum is honored to welcome Commander Billie J. Farrell, 77th Commanding Officer of USS Constitution,” USS Constitution Museum President and CEO Anne Grimes Rand said. “This is an exciting time in Boston with a female mayor and a female captain for Old Ironsides. Women have been represented in Constitution’s crew since I joined the museum staff in 1986, and the first female officer came aboard in 1996.”

The first female commissioned officer to serve aboard USS Constitution was Lt. Cmdr. Claire V. Bloom, who served as an executive officer and led the historic 1997 sail, the first time Old Ironsides sailed under her own power since 1881.

The first female crew member was Rosemarie Lanam, an enlisted Sailor, who joined USS Constitution’s crew in 1986.

Today women comprise more than one third of the 80-person crew.

USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.

The active-duty Sailors stationed aboard USS Constitution provide free tours and offer public visitation as they support the ship’s mission of promoting the Navy’s history and maritime heritage and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence.

USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opponents.

The ship earned the nickname of Old Ironsides during the war of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull.

Category: Navy