A woman has taken command of the U.S.S. Constitution for the first time in its 224-year history.
By Mark Pratt
Women have assumed leadership positions throughout the Navy, so it was only fitting that a woman for the first time Friday took command of the U.S.S. Constitution — the Navy's most historic vessel.
Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell, 39, during a ceremony that started on land and ended on board, became the 77th commanding officer of the 224-year-old warship that earned the nickname Old Ironsides when British cannonballs bounced off its hull during the War of 1812.
“Of course, in our modern Navy, women have already commanded at all levels, but not this ship, the public's most accessible commissioned vessel, America's naval heritage," Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, said during the ceremony at Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard.
Farrell's appointment is an inspiration to others, she said.
“I can only hope that a new generation of people are inspired by seeing a woman as the captain of our ship of state, recognizing that for them too, there is no limit to what they can accomplish,” Chatfield said.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said during the ceremony that Farrell, who most recently served as the executive officer aboard the guided missile cruiser U.S.S. Vicksburg, is “the perfect leader to take command of this historic ship at this historic time.”
The significance of the command was not lost on Farrell, who was a teenager in 1998 when her family visited the ship, which is one of Boston's most popular attractions with about 500,000 tourists annually.
“Any person that walks on the decks of the ship is immediately standing on the page of history itself," said the native of Paducah, Kentucky, and 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. “She also serves as a somber reminder of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice on her decks to create the nation that we know today. Her name carries the weight of the document to which we are all familiar, and to which all members of the armed services swear an oath to support and defend.”
Farrell relieved Cmdr. John Benda, who had led the ship’s crew since February 2020.
The Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat. It played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812 and defended sea lanes from 1797 until 1855. The ship was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opposing vessels.
Today, it is crewed by about 80 active-duty sailors, about a third of whom are women.
The first woman to serve on the Constitution’s crew was Rosemarie Lanam in 1986. The first woman to serve as a commissioned officer on the ship was Lt. Cmdr. Claire Bloom, who served as executive officer and led the 1997 sail, the first time Old Ironsides had sailed under her own power since 1881.
As the world of trading in cryptocurrency gets more popular experts say competition in the space could get bigger within the next year. CEO of Onramp Invest Tyrone Ross, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday approaches, several airports around the country can expect to see an increased amount of travel. As a result, experts say there could be some expected chaos as travelers try to get to their destination. Host of the Travel Genius podcast Mark Ellwood, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Two murder trials in focus in America — Wisconsin V. Kyle Rittenhouse and Georgia V. Travis Mcmichael, Gregory Mcmichael, and William Bryan, the Men who killed Ahmaud Arbery. Civil rights and criminal defense lawyer Anthony Tall and the Founder and CEO of Kim Crowder consulting Kim Crowder, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Mike Johnson, an alum of both "The Bachelorette" and "Bachelor in Paradise," joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to talk about life after being part of the reality TV franchise, what it's like watching the new season as a viewer, and once again closed the door on the chance that he would return for another stint. He also provided some background on a new partnership with PepsiCo's Neon Zebra beverage.
Protect The Sacred is an organization aiming to educate and empower the next generation of Native leaders. Allie Young, the founder of the organization, joins Cheddar News' All Hands to discuss how she's helping communities amid the Covid-19 pandemic and her initiative called Ride to the Polls.
The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, joins 'Your Future Home' to discuss how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before.
On this episode of 'Your Future Home', Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, breaks down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or any partner; The holiday season is here and it’s time to prepare your home for a season of cozy hibernating and cheery holiday hosting. David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, discusses how maximizing where we live, work, and play has taken on a whole new meaning, and now we’re investing in our homes like never before; Cheddar breaks down everything you need to know about identifying and getting rid of clutter in your home.
Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com, joins 'Your Future Home' to break down everything you need to know about buying a home as an unmarried couple or with any partner.
On this episode of ChedHER: Founding Partner of Space Hero explains how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space; Founder of My Social Canvas and Boss Beauties discusses the significance of the Boss Beauties NFTs being displayed at the New York Stock Exchange; Head of Digital Products & Channels at Chase breaks down small steps to improve your finances.
Deborah Sass, CO-CEO and Founding Partner of Space Hero, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space, her experience in the space industry without a background in STEM, and how she hopes to inspire younger generations of women.
