Admiral Michelle Howard

 Adm. Michelle Howard, the first woman to become a four-star admiral, will end her groundbreaking Navy career when she retires by January. In 2014, Howard became the first female four-star admiral and took over as vice chief of naval operations. Two years later, President Barack Obama chose her to head Europe and Africa, making her the first female four-star admiral to command operational forces. She was the first black woman to achieve two-star admiral rank, as well as the first female graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy promoted to flag officer.

In 1999, Howard was the first African-American woman to command a U.S. naval warship when she took the helm of the USS Rushmore, a dock landing vessel.

Howard planned the 2009 mission to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates who had seized his cargo ship at the Gulf of Aden. The hijacking and rescue were depicted in the 2013 film “Captain Phillips.”

Howard has talked about the discrimination she and other women have faced in the military.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us-navy-s-1st-female-4-star-admiral-set-to-retire-1.489556