Amy Bauernschmidt

Rear Admiral Amy N. Bauernschmidt made U.S. naval history by becoming the first woman to command a United States Navy aircraft carrier, but that landmark achievement represents only one chapter in a career that has taken her from helicopter cockpits and carrier flight decks to senior operational command across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. A Naval Aviator, surface ship commander, aircraft carrier commander and flag officer, Bauernschmidt currently serves as Director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet, one of the Navy's key operational leadership positions in the Pacific.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bauernschmidt graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering. Her class entered the fleet during a transformational period for women in naval service, and she became a designated Naval Aviator in 1996. She later earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and completed nuclear power training. Over the course of her aviation career, she accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours in naval aircraft.

Her operational career developed across some of the Navy's most demanding sea assignments. Bauernschmidt deployed with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 45 aboard USS John Young during maritime interdiction operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf, served with Carrier Strike Group 7 aboard USS John C. Stennis, and deployed twice with HSL-51 aboard USS Kitty Hawk. She later served as executive officer and commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70, deploying aboard USS George H.W. Bush in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She also commanded the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego.

Then came the assignment that placed Amy Bauernschmidt permanently in U.S. Navy history. In December 2020, the Navy announced that she had been selected to command the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). She had already broken barriers aboard the same ship as the first woman to serve as executive officer of a U.S. aircraft carrier. On 19 August 2021, she assumed command of Abraham Lincoln, becoming the first woman to command an aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history.

Her carrier command was far more than a historic first. During Bauernschmidt's 21 months in command, Abraham Lincoln completed a seven-month deployment across the U.S. 7th and 3rd Fleet areas of operations and served as flagship during the largest Rim of the Pacific exercise conducted to that point, involving 32 coalition partners. The carrier also operated with the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron integrated into its air wing. When Bauernschmidt relinquished command in May 2023, the Navy awarded her the Legion of Merit for her accomplishments as commanding officer.

Promotion to flag rank brought even greater operational responsibility. Bauernschmidt served as Deputy Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, before taking command of Carrier Strike Group One in April 2025. Under her leadership, the strike group operated across the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas and conducted strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen during Operation Rough Rider. The deployment placed Bauernschmidt in command of carrier strike forces during active combat operations intended to reduce threats to commercial shipping through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. She completed the CSG-1 command tour in October 2025 and reported to U.S. Pacific Fleet the following month.

Her service has been recognized through a substantial group of American military honours. The U.S. Navy's official biography identifies her personal awards as including the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, together with multiple unit, campaign and service awards represented in her ribbon rack. The Legion of Merit presented at the conclusion of her Abraham Lincoln command is independently documented by both the Navy's official change-of-command report and Department of Defense imagery.

Bauernschmidt's influence has also been recognized beyond the United States. On 4 October 2024, while serving as deputy commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, she received the Peruvian Naval Medal of Honor for Merit at the Peruvian Embassy in Tokyo. Peru recognized Bauernschmidt and other U.S. Navy personnel for their contributions following the 2022 fire aboard the Peruvian corvette BAP Guise. The award provides a notable international recognition of her role in allied maritime cooperation and emergency response.

From becoming the first woman to command a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to directing combat operations as a carrier strike group commander, Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt's career has combined historic achievement with sustained operational leadership. As Director of Maritime Operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, she now brings more than three decades of aviation, shipboard, joint, diplomatic and combat-command experience to one of the world's most strategically important maritime regions. Her career remains an important chapter in the history of women in the U.S. Navy, naval aviation, aircraft carrier command and modern American sea power.