Military

First female enlisted sailor gets submarine-qualified

A chief petty officer has become the first woman to earn the Navy‘s “silver dolphins,” signaling an enlisted sailor qualified to serve aboard a submarine.

Chief culinary specialist Dominique Saavedra will deploy aboard the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine Michigan in coming months, the first sub to deploy with a crew including enlisted female sailors.

According to an announcement from Submarine Group 9, out of Puget Sound, Washington, Saavedra received her pin at a ceremony Tuesday, marking a major milestone for female sailors.

You've reached your daily free article limit.

Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.

Get Full Ad-Free Access For Just $0.50/Week

Enjoy unlimited digital access to our Military Culture, Defense, and Foreign Policy coverage content and support a veteran owned business. Already a subscriber?

A chief petty officer has become the first woman to earn the Navy‘s “silver dolphins,” signaling an enlisted sailor qualified to serve aboard a submarine.

Chief culinary specialist Dominique Saavedra will deploy aboard the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine Michigan in coming months, the first sub to deploy with a crew including enlisted female sailors.

According to an announcement from Submarine Group 9, out of Puget Sound, Washington, Saavedra received her pin at a ceremony Tuesday, marking a major milestone for female sailors.

“I couldn’t be more proud to wear the ‘dolphins,’ ” Saavedra said in a statement. “To have earned the respect of my fellow submariners is more rewarding than expected. I am honored to serve as a qualified member in such a prestigious community.”

The Michigan is undergoing a maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that will wrap up this summer. A spokesman for Submarine Group 9, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Smith, said a specific timeframe for deployment has not been made clear.

Read more at Military.com

Image courtesy of Kenneth G. Takada

About SOFREP News Team View All Posts

The SOFREP News Team is a collective of professional military journalists. Brandon Tyler Webb is the SOFREP News Team's Editor-in-Chief. Guy D. McCardle is the SOFREP News Team's Managing Editor. Brandon and Guy both manage the SOFREP News Team.

COMMENTS

You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.

More from SOFREP

REAL EXPERTS.
REAL NEWS.

Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.

TRY 14 DAYS FREE

Already a subscriber? Log In