Beverly G. Kelley was the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel. [1] [2]
Beverly G. Kelley was the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel. [1] [2]
Kelley was raised in Miami, Florida and graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. In January 1976 she enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and then attended Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia from February through June 1976. [3] She earned her master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and a master of science degree in national resource management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. [4]
Kelley became the first woman to command an American military vessel of any branch of the service, specifically a Coast Guard cutter, the 95-foot patrol boat USCGC Cape Newagen, on April 12, 1979. [5] [6] [7] In 1996, she was also the first woman to command a medium endurance cutter, USCGC Northland. [8] [3] In 2000, she became commander of a high endurance cutter, USCGC Boutwell, and made history as the first woman ever to do so. [8] She retired on April 22, 2006 at the rank of captain. [4]
Kelley was appointed to an open seat on the Queen Anne's County Board of Education by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in 2011. [9] She was elected to the seat in November 2012, [10] re-elected in November 2016 [11] and continued to serve through 2020. [12] Kelley served as president of the board during the 2018-2019 school year. [13] She was not a candidate for re-election in November 2020. [14]
Kelley became a member of the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in March 2013 [15] and continued to serve on the committee through 2016. [16]
Kelley is married to Kevin M. Tokarski, [9] who is Associate Administrator for Strategic Sealift at the United States Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation. [17] The couple have one son. [9]
Her military decorations during her thirty years of service include: [4]
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USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance cutter commissioned in 1967 at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the sixth ship or boat to bear the name of Alexander J. Dallas, the Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison (1814–1816). She is one of twelve Hamilton-class cutters built for the Coast Guard.
USCGC Dauntless (WMEC-624) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter, commissioned in 1968 and still on active duty.
USCGC Forward (WMEC-911) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. Named for Walter Forward, fifteenth United States Secretary of the Treasury, she was constructed by Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated, Middletown, Rhode Island was delivered in May 1989, and commissioned 4 August 1990. USCGC Forward (WMEC-911) and USCGC Legare (WMEC-912) were commissioned in a joint ceremony in Portsmouth, Virginia.
USCGC Active (WMEC-618) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. Active was launched at Christy Corporation, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on July 31, 1965. Commissioned on September 1, 1966, she is 210 feet (64 m) long, has a 34-foot (10 m) beam, displaces 1108 tons, and draws 13 feet (4.0 m) of water. She is powered by two diesel engines, combined for a total of 5,000 hp (3,700 kW). Quarters are provided for up to 12 officers and 70 enlisted members. Active's cruising range is 5,000 nautical miles (9,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h), designed with an operating endurance of about 30 days. At her top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h), Active has an approximate range of 2,200 nautical miles (4,070 km). Active's armament consists of a single 25 mm gun on the forecastle. The forecastle, bridge and fantail can also mount .50 caliber machine guns. The Active has a flight deck which allows for the deployment of a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin. USCGC Active has received several awards in recent years for its outstanding service to the maritime community, including oil spill clean ups in Prince William Sound, Alaska during the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
USCGC Vigorous (WMEC-627) is a United States Coast Guard Reliance Class medium endurance cutter.
Jody A. Breckenridge is a former commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Area.
Ronald James Rábago is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard. He retired as the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics and the United States Coast Guard's chief engineer in 2014.
USCGC Point Welcome (WPB-82329) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.
USCGC Point Glover (WPB-82307) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1960 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1960 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82307 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Glover in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).
USCGC Point Grey (WPB-82324) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82324 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Grey in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).
USCGC Point Marone (WPB-82331) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1962 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1962 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82331 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Marone in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).
USCGC Point Young (WPB-82303) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1960 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1960 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82303 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Young in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).
USCGC Point Grace (WPB-82323) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under 100-foot (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82323 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Grace in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65-foot (20 m).
USCGC Point Cypress (WPB-82326) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under 100-foot (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82326 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Cypress in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65-foot (20 m).
USCGC Point Jefferson (WPB-82306) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1960 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1960 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82306 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Jefferson in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65-foot (20 m).
USCGC Point Kennedy (WPB-82320) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under 100-foot (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82320 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Kennedy in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65-foot (20 m).
USCGC Smilax (WAGL/WLIC-315) is a 100-foot (30 m) United States Coast Guard Cosmos-class inland construction tender, commissioned in 1944. Smilax is the "Queen of the Fleet", as the oldest commissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutter.
USS YF-416 was an American YF-257-class covered lighter built in 1943 for service in World War II. She was later acquired by the United States Coast Guard and renamed USCGC White Sumac (WAGL-540).
USCGC Thunder Bay (WTGB-108) is the eighth vessel of the Bay-class tugboat built in 1985 and operated by the United States Coast Guard. The ship was named after a bay in the U.S. state of Michigan on Lake Huron. She is homeported in Rockland, Maine