[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5473-S5474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 550--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 5 THROUGH 
 SEPTEMBER 9, 2016, AS ``RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN AT 
                 THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY WEEK''

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Baldwin, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mrs. McCaskill, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Murray, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Ernst, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. 
Peters, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 550

       Whereas, in 1975, Congress authorized women to attend 
     military service academies;
       Whereas, on July 6, 1976, 81 women midshipmen were inducted 
     into the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 1976, an African-American woman became the 
     first African-American woman to attend the United States 
     Naval Academy, and graduated in 1980;
       Whereas, in 1980, 55 women became the first women to 
     graduate from the United States Naval Academy, 47 percent of 
     whom later became career officers;
       Whereas, in 1980, a woman became the first woman to be a 
     distinguished graduate and Trident Scholar of the United 
     States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, on May 24, 1984, a woman became the first woman to 
     graduate first in class from the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 1988, an African-American woman became the 
     first African-American woman to be commissioned as a Naval 
     Flight Officer from the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 1991, a woman midshipman became the first woman 
     Brigade Commander at the United States Naval Academy;

[[Page S5474]]

       Whereas, on May 13, 1993, a member of the United States 
     Naval Academy class of 1981 became the first woman to be 
     assigned to a combat aircrew;
       Whereas, on March 2, 1995, a member of the United States 
     Naval Academy class of 1981 became the first woman from the 
     Navy to travel to space aboard space shuttle Endeavor;
       Whereas, on March 12, 1999, a member of the United States 
     Naval Academy class of 1982 became the first African-American 
     woman to captain a United States Naval Ship, the USS 
     Rushmore;
       Whereas, in 2004, a member of the United States Naval 
     Academy class of 1998 became the first woman to be selected 
     to attend the Fighter Weapons School of the Navy and become a 
     Top Gun pilot;
       Whereas, in 2004, a woman was first appointed Vice Academic 
     Dean at the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 2006, a member of the United States Naval 
     Academy class of 1981 became the first woman Commandant of 
     Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 2007, a member of the United States Naval 
     Academy class of 1989 became the first woman to assume 
     command of an operational fighter squadron;
       Whereas, in May 2010, the first 11 women to be trained for 
     the Ohio Class Submarine graduated from the United States 
     Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 2013, the woman that was the first woman 
     graduate of the United States Naval Academy to command an 
     operational fighter squadron became the first woman to assume 
     command of a carrier air wing;
       Whereas, on July 1, 2014, a member of the United States 
     Naval Academy class of 1982 became the first woman to be a 4-
     star naval officer and was the first woman and first African-
     American to be appointed to the position of Vice Chief of 
     Naval Operations;
       Whereas, on June 17, 2011, a member of the United States 
     Naval Academy class of 1986 became the first woman to be 
     Commander of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island;
       Whereas, in 2013, a member of the United States Naval 
     Academy class of 1991 became the first woman to be Deputy 
     Commandant of the United States Naval Academy;
       Whereas, in 2016, 25 percent of the graduating class of the 
     United States Naval Academy were women; and
       Whereas, between 1980 and 2016, more than 4,800 women 
     commissioned through the United States Naval Academy: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of September 5 through September 9, 
     2016, as ``Recognizing the 40th Anniversary of Women at the 
     United States Naval Academy Week''; and
       (2) honors past and present women who serve in the Armed 
     Forces of the United States.

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