Battle of New Orleans.

Friday, January 14, 2022

First Woman to Command the USS Constitution

From January 7, 2022, California Times.

The U.S. Navy announced January 4,  that a woman would take command of the USS Constitution, also known as the "Old Ironsides."  This will be the first time in the vessel's 224-year history that a woman has commanded the ship.

Commander Billy J. Farrell will take over from Commander John Vendor,  who has been in charge since February 2020.  She is from Paducah, Kentucky, and graduated from the Naval Academy in 2004 and most recently was executive officer on the USS Vicksburg.

The first woman to serve on the crew was sailor Rosemary Lanham in 1986.  The first woman to serve as an appointed officer on the Constitution was Lieutenant Commander  Claire V. Bloom, an executive officer and  head of the 1997 sail when the ship sailed under her own power for the first time since 1881.

Today, more than  one third of her 80 person crew is female.

You've Come a Long Way.  --Brock-Perry


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