Der-Vartanian became the first woman in U.S. Armed Forces history promoted to the E-9 pay grade, as Master Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy.
On December 16, 1959, while serving on the staff of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Anna Der-Vartanian was promoted from Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) to Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9). This promotion made her the first woman in the entire history of the United States Armed Forces to attain the E-9 pay grade, and the first female Master Chief Petty Officer in the history of the U.S. Navy.
At the time, the E-9 pay grade represented the pinnacle of enlisted rank, reserved for only the most experienced and highly regarded senior enlisted personnel. For a woman to reach this rank in 1959 — a period when women's roles in the military were still largely restricted and undervalued, more than a decade after the WAVES program had integrated women into Navy service during World War II — was a profound and historic achievement.
Der-Vartanian's promotion instantly made her the highest-ranking enlisted woman in the entire U.S. military, a distinction that drew national attention and served as a powerful symbol of women's capability and dedication within the armed forces. Her achievement paved the way for future generations of servicewomen to aspire to and attain the Navy's most senior enlisted positions, and it remains a landmark moment cited in the history of women in the U.S. military.