May 6, 2021

Owens v. Brown -- Women Can Now Serve at Sea

On Nov. 10, 1976, Petty Officer Yona Owens and six other women sued the Navy. The women were determined to overturn a 30-year-old federal statute that limited Navy women to shore-duty billets, even though they were trained to work aboard ships. Judge John J. Sirica heard the case April 11, 1978, and July 27, 1978, Judge Sirica ruled that women should be allowed to serve at sea.

April 23, 2021

Susan Ahn Cuddy

In November 2020, CNO and Mrs. Gilday installed a new exhibit in the Tingey House highlighting the accomplishments of female Navy pioneers. The pioneers proudly served their country and this year the Naval History and Heritage Command will be sharing their stories. In 1942, Lieutenant Susan Ahn Cuddy became the first female Asian-American to serve in the Navy and also its first female gunnery officer.

March 29, 2018

Beyond Rosie the Riveter: A History of Women in the Navy

When you picture women and Navy work, you probably think of "Rosie the Riveter," a term popularized during World War II. But the history of women in the Navy starts much earlier than this.Women in the Early Navy (1775-1908) Women have served in defense of our nation since the Revolutionary War. Back then, they served traditional roles within the

March 5, 2018

Lenah Higbee: A Continuing Legacy and Trailblazer for Navy Women

Editors note: The following blog was originally published in iDriveWarships.Women's History Month provides the opportunity to highlight the achievements of many women that were trailblazers in their respective fields. Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee , one of the original "Sacred Twenty" women to join the newly established Navy Nurse Corps in 1908, was one

March 28, 2016

Finding Greatness: The Navy's First Woman SCUBA Diver

As a society, we love stories about ordinary people who find greatness in themselves when tested. They remind us that greatness lies within all of us if we are brave enough to step outside our comfort zones, dream big, and work hard. Kati Garner, the Navy's first female SCUBA diver, was an ordinary girl from Colorado who discovered greatness in

March 1, 2016

Honoring the Proud Women Who Serve in the U.S. Navy

Today, we join the nation in celebration of "Women's Equality Day" to commemorate the proud and dedicated service in the U.S. Navy. In 1908, women officially began serving as nurses in the Navy. Yeomanettes or yeomen were added during WWI. During WWII, Congress established the Navy's Women's Reserve Program, or WAVES. Today, women serve in every

March 21, 2015

Celebrating the First Women to Join the Naval Reserve Force

 Every March during Women's History Month we commemorate the diverse contributions women have made, and continue to make, to our nation and our military. March also marks the Navy Reserve's birthday and it would be remiss not to celebrate the contributions of Chief Yeoman (F) Loretta P. Walsh, the first woman enrolled in the Naval Reserve Force,

March 20, 2014

#PeopleMatter: "Yeomanettes" Paved the Way for Women of All Ratings Today

Nearly 600 Yeomen (F) were on duty by the end of April 1917, a number that had grown to more than 11,000 by December 1918, shortly after the Armistice. After the war, many "yeomanettes" continued in their positions during the post-war naval reductions. By the end of July 1919, there were just under 4,000 left in service, and all were released from

Dec. 20, 2013

First female Navy captain oversaw greatest growth of Nurse Corps

This Day in History, Dec. 22, 1942: The First Female Captain in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps Superintendent Sue Dauser (1888-1972) was promoted to the "relative rank" of captain, becoming the first woman in United States Navy history to achieve this status, Dec. 22, 1942.[1] Just two years later, when Public Law No. 238 granted full military

Aug. 26, 2013

The Year of the Military Woman: Women's Equality Day, August 26

This year is the Year of the Military Woman, and the Naval History and Heritage Command would like to honor all the women who serve and have served this great nation.