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Kathleen A. McGrath

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Captain
Kathleen A. McGrath
Born(1952-06-04)June 4, 1952
Columbus, Ohio, US
DiedSeptember 26, 2002(2002-09-26) (aged 50)
Bethesda, Maryland, US
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery
Alma materCalifornia State University, Sacramento
Occupation(s)US Navy officer and ship commander
Known forFirst woman to command a United States Navy warship.
SpouseGregory H. Brandon
Children2
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Navy
RankCaptain

Kathleen Anne McGrath (June 4, 1952 – September 26, 2002) was the first woman to command a United States Navy warship.

Early life

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On June 4, 1952, McGrath was born in Columbus, Ohio. McGrath's father is Colonel James H. McGrath. McGrath's mother is Martha McGrath.[1][2]

Education

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In 1975, McGrath earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from California State University, Sacramento. McGrath attended Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island. In 1987, McGrath earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Management from Stanford University.[3][4]

Career

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McGrath worked in the United States Forestry Service until 1980 when she joined the US Navy. McGrath was deployed to the Western Pacific, the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas.[1]

McGrath commanded the rescue and salvage ship USS Recovery in 1993 and 1994. She was the first woman to command was US Navy ship.

In December 1998, Captain McGrath became commander of the frigate USS Jarrett. She was one of the group of five women, including Michelle J. Howard, Maureen Farren, Ann O'Connor, and Grace Mehl, chosen to be the first female combatant commanders in the United States Navy.[5][6][2]

In the spring of 2000, it was just six years after Congress revoked rules prohibiting women from serving on combat aircraft and warships. On March 31, 2000, McGrath commanded USS Jarrett and set to sea from San Diego, California with a destination of the Persian Gulf region. Its goal was to hunt boats suspected of smuggling Iraqi oil in violation of United Nations sanctions.[1][7]

In May 2002, McGrath was promoted to the rank of captain.[4]

Following her tour as commander of the Jarrett, McGrath served at the Joint Advanced Warfighting Unit in Alexandria, Virginia.[1]

Captain McGrath died in September 2002 at the age of 50.

Awards

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Personal life

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McGrath's husband was Gregory H. Brandon. They have two children.[1]

On September 26, 2002, McGrath died from lung cancer at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. She was 50 years old. McGrath is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. [1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Capt. Kathleen McGrath, 50, Pioneering Warship Commander". New York Times. October 1, 2002. p. B8. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Kathleen McGrath, United States Naval Officer". britannica.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. ^ Thompson, Mark (2000-03-27). "Aye, Aye, Ma'am". TIME. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  4. ^ a b c "Kathleen Anne "Kathy" McGrath Captain, U.S. Navy". militaryhallofhonor.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive - USS Jarrett (FFG 33)". navsource.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Lang, John (1998-03-25). "Albuquerque woman to command Navy fighting ship". Albuquerque Times.
  7. ^ Brown, Justin (March 31, 2000). "A crack appears in the Navy's brass ceiling". csmonitor.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
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