The first Latina to command a warship in the U.S. Navy will now be the first female superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Rear Admiral Yvette Davids, who was commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, was relieved by Rear Admiral Brendan McLane during a change of command ceremony Thursday at Naval Base San Diego.
McLane, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1990, begins his new position after a tour as Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic. He has served in the military for more than three decades.
Davids’ appointment to superintendent was announced in April.
Last month, Davids hosted an all-hands call aboard USS Comstock to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the repeal of Title 10 U.S.C. Section 6015, which had previously barred women from combatant ships.
“Women who serve our Navy today follow in the wake of courageous pioneers who broke glass ceilings and blazed trails that transformed our Navy and created the opportunities for women to serve our Navy in equal standing alongside men,” said Davids.
“Today, all the doors of opportunity are open to women who are leading at every level in our Navy.”
Davids is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where she majored in oceanography and was a member of the sailing team.
