“Old Ironsides” Has Her First Female Commander

The USS Constitution is not only the oldest ship in the US Navy fleet, it’s also the oldest warship on Earth to be still afloat today. And, now, the for time in since it was launched back in 1797 the ship has her first female commander. CDR Billie J. Farrell took command of the ship on January 21, 2022, at which time a ceremony was held to inaugurate the newest commander.

Farrell graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 with a degree in politcal science. Since then she has gone on to earn a master’s degree in operations and previously held the position of executive officer aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg.

Farrell is the 77th commander of the historic ship which was first commissioned as one of 6 naval ships 1794 by the 3rd Congress. They were built as the first frigates of the US Navy to be defensive, yet were also made to be agile in order to combat pirate ships.

A grassroots campaign to save the ship from perceived demolition in 1834 led to the poem “Old Ironsides” by Oliver Wendell Holmes being published across the country and solidified the ship’s nickname in history.

The USS Constitution was made a museum vessel in 1907 and has been docked at the USS Constitution Museum at the Charlestown Naval Yard in Charlestown, Massachusetts, just across the water from Logan International Airport.

The first female crew member aboard USS Constitution, Rosemarie Lanam, joined in 1986 and the first female officer, Claire V. Bloom, joined the crew in 1996.

About her historic rise to the position of commander, Farrell said that she is “honored” to accept the role and that that it is a “privilege…to have been afforded the amazing opportunity to serve as USS Constitution‘s first female commanding officer in her 224 years.”

She want on to say, “I hope to strengthen the legacy of USS Constitution through preservation, promotion and protection by telling her story and connecting it to the rich heritage of the United States Navy and the warships serving in the fleet today.”

Each year on July 4th the ship is unmoored from her berth and given a brief sailing before being re-berthed facing the opposite direction so that the hull can weather evenly over time. CDR Farrell said she is looking forward to sailing the ship.