The first 13 women chosen to join the U.S. Navy's submarine force include 11 Naval Academy midshipmen:• Tabitha Gant, Bowie, Md.
• Abigail Gesecki, Luzerne, Colo.
• Elizabeth Hudson, Plymouth, Mass.
• Peggy LeGrand, Amarillo, Texas
• Rachel Lessard, Newburyport, Mass.
• Kristin Lyles, Fairfax Station, Va.
• Laura Martindale, Roselle, Ill.
• Marquette Ried, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Kayla Sax, Richland, Wash.
• Misty Webster, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
• Jessica Wilcox, Honesdale, Pa.
Two NROTC midshipmen at North Carolina State University also have been picked:
• Megan Bittner, Chesapeake, Va.
• Karen Achtyl, Rochester, N.Y.
The original Golden 13 can be found HERE.
These women are a blessing to the Navy and this country. I hope beyond hope that they will enjoy the respect they are certain to earn.
ReplyDeleteHow many will get knocked up on their first boat?
ReplyDeleteGlad to see my alma mater (NC State) rounds out the 13.
ReplyDeleteThere are 19 now... and one of the ladies is from my alma mater Hampton University
ReplyDeleteCongrads to these ladies!
ReplyDeleteThough I am truly proud of what they accomplished, I wish the person who wrote this story could've found a different title for this group rather than compare them to the 13 African American inlisted navy men. These ladies should be recognized for their own accomplishments. And the 'Golden' referred to their nationality. Come on yall, give these ladies their own props!
HARTFORD, Conn.-- The first female Navy officers selected for duty on submarines are on track to join their boats beginning later this year.
ReplyDeleteThe Navy says it is not treating them any differently from men receiving the same training, but officials have been working to prepare the submarine crews for a dramatic cultural change.
The initial class of 24 women will be divided among four submarines, where they will be vastly outnumbered by men.
The female officers, many of them engineering graduates from the Naval Academy, are accustomed to being in the minority and so far they say they hardly feel like outsiders.
Ensign Peggy LeGrand of Amarillo, Texas, says she is thrilled at the opportunity although she feels the women's mistakes and successes will be magnified more than they deserve.