While Corvette Captain Gilda Prüß became the first woman to hold the position of chief officer on a German Navy frigate last year (see MarineForum 12-2020 page 45), America is already a few steps ahead. Shortly before Christmas, the US Navy proudly announced that a woman will take command of the aircraft carrier USS "Abraham Lincoln" next summer. Captain Amy Bauernschmidt will then command one of the Navy's eleven nuclear-powered carriers and up to 5,600 men and women. With their 85 aircraft, the 332 metre-long ships form the combat-ready backbone of the fleet. The "Abraham Lincoln" is the fifth ship of the "Nimitz" class and was commissioned in 1989. She is based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Bauernschmidt will take command after completing a number of mandatory courses for aircraft carrier commanders in the areas of nuclear propulsion, flight operations and people management. After graduating from the Naval Academy in May 1994, she trained as a helicopter pilot. For the Navy, she flew the MH-60 Seahawk, commanded the "Spartans" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70 and the amphibious dock landing ship USS "San Diego". The "Lincoln" is not new territory for her: from 2016 to January 2019, Bauernschmidt was already able to gain experience here as First Officer. She was also the first woman in this prominent position back then. MarineForum wishes her all the best!
Text: mb
Photo: US Navy
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German
I'm happy for them. And nomen est omen. There is also an officer with the same name in the German Navy. Frigate Captain Gilda Prüss is first officer on the frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Bravo and congratulations
congratulations and respect
What is so newsworthy about that? As a woman, I would find it almost discriminatory if being a commander is still portrayed as so special in this day and age. It is simply the order of the day today. And by the way, women were already captains on board Chinese sailing ships hundreds of years ago.