First woman to command a U.S. Navy warship and frigate

On 18 December 1998, Captain Kathleen Anne McGrath assumed command of the guided‑missile frigate USS Jarrett (FFG‑33), becoming the first woman to command a U.S. Navy warship and the first woman to command a frigate in the Navy’s history.[1][6][12]

This change of command followed 1990s policy reforms that opened combatant ships to women, yet skepticism about women in high‑risk seagoing command persisted.[6] McGrath’s selection was part of a small cohort of five women chosen as the first female commanding officers of combatant ships.[6] Her assignment to Jarrett, a front‑line surface combatant, directly challenged entrenched gender norms about who could lead sailors into potentially hostile waters.

Jarrett’s crew of more than 250 sailors now looked to a female commanding officer for operational decisions, combat readiness, and discipline. McGrath’s role demanded mastery of shiphandling, weapons systems, and the ability to integrate her frigate into carrier battle groups and complex multinational operations.[1][15] Her successful assumption of command demonstrated that professional competence, not gender, determines effective leadership.

Historically, this date marks a watershed moment: the first time a woman stood on the bridge of a U.S. Navy warship as its commanding officer, with full authority over the vessel and its crew.[1][6] It reverberated beyond the Navy, signaling to women in all services that the highest operational roles were within reach. McGrath’s barrier‑breaking command helped normalize women’s presence in combatant ship leadership and contributed to broader acceptance of women in combat‑adjacent roles.