Navy Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt made history in San Diego Thursday when she took command of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln at a ceremony on board the ship. She is the first woman to command one of the Navy’s largest warships.
Bauernschmidt previously served as the Lincoln’s executive officer — another first for a woman — from 2016-2019. After leaving the Lincoln, Bauernschmidt served as the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock San Diego.
“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,” Bauernschmidt said in a statement.
The Lincoln arrived in San Diego in January 2020, after a grueling 10-month round-the-world cruise from its previous homeport in Norfolk, Va. The carrier — one of 11 on active duty in the U.S. Navy — recently received upgrades to conduct operations with the Navy’s newest aircraft, the CMV-22B Osprey and the F-35C fighter.
The ship is set to deploy in the coming months with a Marine F-35 squadron, the Miramar-based Black Knights of VMFA-314. It will be the first carrier deployment for the Marine Corps F-35C, which is one of three variants of the aircraft.
The Abraham Lincoln is home-ported at Naval Air Station North Island.
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