Ford Sailors Reflect on International Women of Color Day

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Manvir Gill | A graphic highlighting various women assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).  

NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES

03.01.2023

Courtesy Story

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)           

Ford Sailors Reflect on International Women of Color Day
Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Grace Lyles
USS Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors aboard the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) celebrate International Women of Color Day, March 1, 2023.
“Aboard Ford, we will be celebrating International Women of Color Day in alignment with Women’s History Month,” said Chief Retail Services Specialist Ana Marrerosuarez, program manager for Ford’s Multicultural Heritage Committee. “We will make posters, videos and stories that celebrate women in today’s Navy and the accomplishments they provide daily to the mission.”
International Women of Color day has been recognized by the National Institute for Women of Color since 1986 and acknowledges the achievements of the women of color who have paved the way in U.S. Naval history and for Ford’s Sailors serving today.
According to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, in 1942, Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy became the first Asian American woman to serve in the U.S. Navy as part of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program.
Although black women were permitted to serve in the Navy temporarily during World War I, they were not officially authorized to do so until 1944. The first two black female naval officers, Lt. j. g. Harriet Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills, were commissioned on December 26, 1944.
Chief Yeoman Edna Young was the first black American woman to enlist in the Navy in July 1948. That year, Lt. Cmdr. Maria Emiliana Aquino became the first Native American woman to serve as an officer in the Medical Service Corps.
In 1978, Capt. Joan Bynum was the first black woman to be promoted to her rank of O-6. That same year, Brenda “Raven” Robinson became the first black female pilot and only the 42nd woman to earn Wings of Gold for completing naval aviation training.
In 1993, Cmdr. Lynn Chow became the first female Navy gunnery officer aboard a combatant ship. In 2000, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Roseanne Oliveros became the first female Hispanic Seabee Diver. In 2010, Capt. Kathlene Contres was the highest-ranking Hispanic American woman officer in the Navy until she retired.
By 2014, Admiral Michelle J. Howard was chosen as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations after having been the first black woman to command a ship. Howard was also the first black woman to achieve ranks of two and three-star admiral.
These trailblazers of the past, as well as Ford’s strong Sailors, provide inspiring examples of resiliency and courage. According to diversity.defense.gov, in 2016, more than 19,000 U.S. Navy Sailors were women of color. Today, Ford recognizes how far women of color in the Navy have come and how much further they will go in the future.
“I am the only person who has the power to determine my future and I am the only obstacle in my way,” said Seaman Nacolette Carr, from Miamisburg, Ohio, assigned to Ford’s supply department. “I think the Navy does very well with inclusion and I think just continuing to keep people informed of the past and how far we’ve come has accomplished so much.”
Ford is proud to have women of color serving and assisting with daily operations to achieve mission readiness.
“I think of myself as a Sailor, as an officer, not as a gender,” said Lt. Cmdr. Wanda Colon, Ford’s principal assistant supply officer. “When I get a task, I try to do my best, work hard, and that’s how I survive.”
Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. As the first-in-class ship of Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 78 represents a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. Ford-class aircraft carriers introduce 23 new technologies, including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators. The new systems incorporated onto Ford-class ships are designed to generate a higher sortie rate with a 20% smaller crew than a Nimitz-class carrier, paving the way forward for naval aviation.
For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram: @cvn78_grford, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

• Date Taken: 03.01.2023
• Date Posted: 03.01.2023 13:00
• Story ID: 439480
• Location: NORFOLK, VA, US