Holly Graf
| Holly Ann Graf | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Simsbury, Connecticut |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1985-2010 |
| Rank |
 Captain |
| Commands held |
USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) USS Cowpens (CG-63) |
| Battles/wars | Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Awards |
Legion of Merit Bronze Star Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (with one gold star). |
Holly Ann Graf is a retired Captain in the United States Navy. Until January 2010 she was commanding officer of the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG-63), a major surface combatant vessel of the fleet. She was the first woman to command a cruiser in the history of the U.S. Navy. Earlier, she had been the first woman in the U.S. Navy to command a destroyer when she served as skipper of the guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81). Her personal decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, among others.[1] Graf was relieved of command for abusive behavior unbecoming of an officer and was featured in Time magazine as a female Captain Bligh.[2] The US Navy forced Graf into early retirement in 2012, but allowed her to do so at her current rank of Captain and under "honorable circumstances."[3]
Early life
Graf grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut to a family with a long history of naval service. Her father is a retired Captain and Submarine Officer in the U.S. Navy, and her sister, Robin L. Graf, is currently a Rear Admiral (LH) in the Navy Reserve.[4] Graf graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1985. Most of her colleagues at the time believed she was well on her way to flag rank.[5]
She holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and an additional Master's degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.[6]
Navy career
Graf's previous billets include Auxiliaries Officer and First Division Officer in USS Puget Sound (AD-38). Graf was also the Weapons Officer in USS Ainsworth (FF-1090) and executive officer in USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54). She was subsequently promoted to commander and served as commanding officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) from 20 April 2002 to 6 February 2004. During this deployment, she participated in the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was promoted to captain in 2007.[7] Graf then served as the assistant operations officer of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) carrier strike group. From 20 March 2008 to 13 January 2010, Graf was the commanding officer of USS Cowpens, based in Yokosuka, Japan.[1][8][9]
Relieved of command
On 13 January 2010, Graf was relieved of command of USS Cowpens by Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan, commander of Carrier Strike Group Five, as non-judicial punishment stemming from an admiral's mast. The punishment followed an investigation which verified allegations of cruelty and maltreatment of her crew, and conduct unbecoming an officer.[7][8][10]
Later career
Graf was slated to take a job at the Office of Information, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5) at the Pentagon after leaving the Cowpens.[8] However, after losing her command, Graf was reassigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center's laboratory in Dahlgren, Virginia.[5]
A board of inquiry composed of three admirals held hearings regarding her conduct in November 2010.[11] On December 3, 2010, the board of inquiry recommended that Graf be separated from the Navy and receive a retirement under general circumstances so she could be allowed to retire with the rank of Captain. General discharges (or a "General" characterization to retiring commissioned officers) are given to service members whose performance is satisfactory but is marked by a considerable departure in duty performance and conduct expected of military members.[12] On January 6, 2012, this decision was reversed and Graf will be allowed to receive an honorable service characterization as a retired officer, as it was, "...determined that her conduct did not rise to a level sufficient to warrant the characterization of her service as less than honorable."[13]
Military awards
Graf's awards include:
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 | ||||
 |
 |
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| Command at Sea insignia | Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge | ||
| Surface Warfare insignia | |||
| Legion of Merit | Bronze Star | Defense Meritorious Service Medal | |
References
- ↑ Thompson, Mark, "The Rise and Fall of a Female Captain Bligh", Time, 3 March 2010.
- ↑ Slavin, Erik, "Navy to let ousted captain of Yokosuka-based ship to get 'honorable' retirement", Stars and Stripes, 8 January 2012.
- ↑ "Rear Admiral Robin L. Graf, Deputy Commander, Navy Recruiting Command". US Navy Biography. Department of the Navy.
- 1 2 Thompson, Mark (2010-03-11). "Sexism and the Navy's Female Captain Bligh (published in print as "The Sea Witch")". Time.
- 1 2 Thompson, Mark (March 3, 2010). "The Rise and Fall of a Female Captain Bligh". Time. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ↑ cowpensvets.org (2010). "CAPT Holly Graf - United States Navy - COWPENS' Tenth Commanding Officer". cowpensvets.org. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ↑ Carter, David, J. (January 16, 2010). "Admiral relieves Cowpens captain". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- ↑ Dave Larter (November 29, 2010). "Graf board of inquiry to convene Tuesday". Navy Times. Gannett Government Media Corporation.
- ↑ Dave Larter (December 3, 2010). "Panel: Graf should get general discharge". Navy Times. Gannett Government Media Corporation.
- ↑ Sam Fellman (January 6, 2012). "Fired Cowpens CO to get 'honorable' retirement". Navy Times. Gannett Government Media Corporation. Retrieved January 16, 2012.