BATH, Maine - Cmdr. DonAnn Gilmore is in rarified air as commanding officer of the future Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118). Of all the commanding officers in the Navy (1,110+), there are only 75 women, according to the Defense Department. Until 1993, women weren’t allowed to serve on combat ships, but that changed in 1993, when all Navy ships were opened to women. Capt. Kathleen McGrath became the first woman to command a warship in 2000. Originally from Anniston, Ala., - west of Birmingham - Gilmore’s father was in the military, which gave her the fervor to join up since a kid. She fell for the ships when her father took her to tour them when she was young. Gilmore attended Penn State University where she commissioned through the ROTC program. As a commander, Gilmore says she didn’t think about the fact she’s a woman, and had previously captained an all-male crew. But, she says she didn’t realize it until no one else ever used the women’s “head.” “A magical thing happens when you put on a uniform and work in an organization that values diversity,” she added. “If we all thought the same we’d never be able to problem solve the way we do coming from different backgrounds.” Her role as commander is to “facilitate growth, development, leadership, and empower the people who work below you,” Gilmore added. Gilmore and her crew of some 300 are currently training to take control of the destroyer, which is tentatively scheduled to leave the Bath shipyard for its homeport in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Sen. Inouye’s home state), sometime in 2020. (Source: Times Record 07/22/19)
Shipbuilding and maritime related news from the Central Gulf Coast region
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Ala.-born commander in rare air
BATH, Maine - Cmdr. DonAnn Gilmore is in rarified air as commanding officer of the future Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer, USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118). Of all the commanding officers in the Navy (1,110+), there are only 75 women, according to the Defense Department. Until 1993, women weren’t allowed to serve on combat ships, but that changed in 1993, when all Navy ships were opened to women. Capt. Kathleen McGrath became the first woman to command a warship in 2000. Originally from Anniston, Ala., - west of Birmingham - Gilmore’s father was in the military, which gave her the fervor to join up since a kid. She fell for the ships when her father took her to tour them when she was young. Gilmore attended Penn State University where she commissioned through the ROTC program. As a commander, Gilmore says she didn’t think about the fact she’s a woman, and had previously captained an all-male crew. But, she says she didn’t realize it until no one else ever used the women’s “head.” “A magical thing happens when you put on a uniform and work in an organization that values diversity,” she added. “If we all thought the same we’d never be able to problem solve the way we do coming from different backgrounds.” Her role as commander is to “facilitate growth, development, leadership, and empower the people who work below you,” Gilmore added. Gilmore and her crew of some 300 are currently training to take control of the destroyer, which is tentatively scheduled to leave the Bath shipyard for its homeport in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Sen. Inouye’s home state), sometime in 2020. (Source: Times Record 07/22/19)
