Mar 7

First Women Assigned to a Combat Ship

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 1:00 AM

March 7th, 1994

The U. S. Navy issues first orders for women aboard a combat ship:  the USS Eisenhower (CVN-69)

        The U. S. Navy issued the first set of orders to women for duty aboard a combat ship, the USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) on March 7, 1994. 

        By June 25th, when this photo of a watertight door proudly labeled “FEMALE OFFICERS COUNTRY” was snapped as ‘A Sign of the Times’ eighty-seven women were aboard the ship as crew members, and approximately 500 women were expected aboard (as ship’s crew or members of an embarked air wing) by the following October for the next scheduled deployment.

 

Posted by Naval Institute Archives in Navy, Uncategorized, Women
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

 
«
»
 
 
  • Sharon Olson

    Proud to be part of the crew of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower crew from 1994 to 1998.

  • Eric Cable

    I am investigating this further. I was a crew member of the USS Coronado (AGF-11) and we got our first wave of women in FEBRUARY of 1994 and therefore the Coronado, not the Eisenhower, was the first combatabt to embark women as part of it’s regular, full-time crew.

  • Doshy Ellison

    There’s a matter of designation. She was designated as an Auxiliary Command Ship at the time, as such she was technically not a “Combat ship”.

    Let us know what you find though.