'Wolfpack' Navy helicopter pilot becomes the FIRST woman to command a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as USS Abraham Lincoln sets sail for western Pacific


A Navy helicopter pilot has become the first woman to command a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on deployment.

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, set sail for the western Pacific from San Diego on Monday after nine months of training exercises.

'This is an amazing day,' she said. 'They are going to do exceptional work out there, and I just can't wait to watch them succeed.'


The deployment comes after five sailors were killed during training in September when their helicopter crashed into the carrier's flight deck and tumbled into the sea.

Bauernschmidt, who came through the ranks flying helicopters, had only been in command 12 days when the tragedy struck.

'It is always a tough experience and no one is prepared for something like that - everyone deals with it in their own way,' she said. 'It was a tough day that none of us will ever forget.'




Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt (addressing sailors on Monday), commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, set sail for the western Pacific from San Diego on Monday after nine months of training and work-ups











Captain Amy Bauernschmidt, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln




'That law absolutely changed my life,' Bauernschmidt told CBS News in 2018. 'We were the first class that graduated knowing and feeling honored with the privilege to be able to go serve along the rest of our comrades in combat.

'There are a lot of times in life that you're a little nervous or afraid to do something, 'cause you think you're gonna fail. Well, so what? I mean… what's the worst that's gonna happen if I fail?' Bauernschmidt said. 'You know, If you fail you get up and you may realize in that failure that what you're really meant to do is something else.'

She received her wings as a naval aviator in 1996 and flew with the Helicopter Ant-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 45 'Wolfpack' in San Diego.

She also deployed with the destroyer USS John Young as part of maritime operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf.

Later, she was chosen to command Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.







Bauernschmidt has accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours in naval helicopters aboard various aircraft carriers throughout her career and has served in areas from Alaska to Southwest Asia according to her Navy biography.

Bauernschmidt is currently the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego.

'I hope that I'm a good leader and a mentor to both men and women in the service,' Bauernschmidt said.

Service is about 'contributing to something greater than yourself,' Bauernschmidt told CBS News.

'For me, it is about supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. But it's also about these young men and women that I lead every day,' she said. 'They're pretty awesome.'


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Going from commanding a transport dock ship to a nuclear carrier seems like an odd career path. I hope she does right by her sailors.

But dem crazy eyes doe.  And looks a bit manly….

Thank God. Our long national nightmare is at an end.

I have no doubt she was far more qualified than any male sailor

Pics of her wife?

How long before she runs it into the curb?

In a honest world I’d assume she must be the best of the best and a super badass woman to have that job, however in clown world I’m assuming just the opposite, that she’s risen mainly just because she’s female, in spite of problems and sub par performance that would destroy any male wanna be captains  career day 1.

hopefully I’m wrong and she doesn’t wreck a multi billion dollar ship with 5000 sailors on board.

The CCP/PLAN have got to be absolutely shitting themselves laughing by now.

Insert "that's a man, baby!" Image here

I guess prayers up that she remembers to tell someone if the check engine light comes on.

Agreed.

And…….I have 2 daughters in the USN. And they would agree.

Good for her. Next step is commanding a CSG as a one star.

She'll be sideways in the Suez canal, blocking traffic for days, in no time

Crazy eyes and that’s a dude.

Hopefully she’s a good skipper and does right by her crew.

Go girl photo op of cutting the cake?

'There are a lot of times in life that you're a little nervous or afraid to do something, 'cause you think you're gonna fail. Well, so what? I mean what's the worst that's gonna happen if I fail?'

Spoken like a true warrior

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A lot can happen if you fail commanding a nuclear powered aircraft carrier…

Ask Kara Hultgreen.

Hopefully not the first to crash a nuclear carrier.

5,000 (or fewer) sailors end up treading water and the chicoms own the U.S. that much sooner?


I hope she was given command because she was the best choice, but that's not my first assumption.

How many kills does she have?
And what's up with the Navy camo? Is that so when they go overboard no one can find them in the frothy ocean?

Well hopefully this is a PR stunt and someone that actually went up through the ranks in a carrier has his hand up her ass.

At least she's an actual biological female.

LPDs are dead draft amphib that are major commands.

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It doesn't matter if she does. The Navy will just find her a nice do nothing billet and call it a promotion, shitcan the senior officers on the carrier, and put another woman in command of a carrier.

Women can't fail in the new military, and even if they do, they don't.

She’ll run it out of gas before it gets anywhere.

This is the true legacy of Affirmative Action and the woke mentality.
For those who've truly earned their place, it's a sad thing indeed.

"She" looks like a dude

Will probably be a bigger asshole than a male Capt.

How does a chopper pilot qualify to run a carrier?

Let us hope her rise to command wasn’t arbitrary and capricious. If so, God be with those that our military has decided to trust their lives to.

A helicopter pilot commanding a CVN? I thought the zoomies would zealously guard that for themselves.

Kharn

But she is white. Female is not good enough.

This; that's not an odd career path, that's the career path to becoming a carrier CO.  Winged aviator, squadron command as an O5, selection for the carrier pipeline, carrier XO, deep draft amphib CO, carrier CO.  ETA: Oh, and nuclear power school, well after you've forgotten all the math you learned in HS and college.



Her peer and USNA classmate, CAPT Brent Gaut, current CO of the USS George Washington, is also a helo pilot (SH-60Bs).  He's a personal friend and one of the best individuals you'll ever meet.

That used to be a no-go.
Her primary qualification is being a female.

Six months from now the carrier will be covered in dings and scrapes from shopping carts.

Guilty

From my understanding it is unusual for a rotary wing aviator to get a CVN, and they normally will get a LHA/D for their major command

I believe they like to give aviators a smaller ship command before they give them a carrier

LOL....so 3000 hours in a Helo makes you qualified to lead a whole fucking Carrier?

This is clown world.

I have a tremendous amount of time on the water piloting boats of all kind, this is ridiculous.

She should be deck hand on a YTB before being the fuckin captain of a Nuke Carrier

Because they are naval aviators? Only naval aviators can command a carrier, its federal law and dates back to the 30’s.

Being a Naval Aviator, squadron commander, X.O. of the same carrier, and C.O. of this?

Is there legit reasons why people with zero interest in this are mad or are we just doing our normal knee jerk reaction?

I am more offended my those navy blue cammies than anything.

Do the guys who resurface rims also do hulls?