US Navy aircraft carrier deploys for first time under command of female captain
- USS Abraham Lincoln set sail from San Diego under the command of Captain Amy Bauernschmidt
- The aircraft carrier also set sail with the first Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter squadron
Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln made history on Monday when it set sail from San Diego, becoming the first US Navy carrier to deploy under the leadership of a female commanding officer.
Captain Amy Bauernschmidt assumed command of the carrier in August, becoming the first female carrier skipper.
Prior to taking command of the Lincoln last year, Bauernschmidt served as the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego. She was previously the Lincoln’s executive officer and the first woman to serve as the second-in-command on a carrier.
Before that, Bauernschmidt, a seasoned helicopter pilot who has flown over 3,000 hours in US Navy aircraft, commanded Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom while deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.
When she took command of the Lincoln last summer, Bauernschmidt said in a statement that “there is no more humbling sense of responsibility than to know you are entrusted with the care of the people who have chosen to protect our nation”.
The Lincoln left San Diego on Monday for a regular deployment as part of the Carrier Strike Group 3, which also included one guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers.