In February 1944, Stratton was promoted to Captain, becoming the first woman in Coast Guard history to reach this rank.
In February 1944, just weeks after her promotion to Commander, Dorothy Stratton was elevated to the rank of Captain in the United States Coast Guard—making her the first woman in the service's history to reach this senior rank.
This rapid succession of promotions underscored both the urgency and scale of the wartime mobilization effort and the confidence placed in Stratton's leadership of the SPARS. As Captain, she held one of the highest positions of authority available to any woman in the U.S. armed forces at the time.
Her achievement came during a period when women in the military were still fighting for basic recognition of their contributions, let alone command authority. Stratton's rank gave her a formal seat at decision-making tables that had previously been closed to women, and she used that position to advocate for fair treatment, adequate training, and meaningful assignments for the women under her command.
Stratton's captaincy remains a landmark in the history of women's military service, frequently cited alongside her role as first commissioned woman officer as evidence of her foundational impact on gender integration within the Coast Guard.