Michelle Howard

Michelle J. Howard
Birth name	Michelle Janine Howard
Born	(1960-04-30) April 30, 1960 (age 58) March Air Force Base, California, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1982–2017
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	United States Naval Forces Europe - Naval Forces Africa Allied Joint Force Command Naples Vice Chief of Naval Operations Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5) USS Rushmore Amphibious Squadron 7 Expeditionary Strike Group Two Task Force Two Zero
Battles/wars	Persian Gulf War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (3) Meritorious Service Medal Navy Commendation Medal (4) Navy Achievement Medal
Spouse(s)	Wayne Cowles[1]

Michelle Janine Howard (born April 30, 1960) is a retired United States Navy officer who last served as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe while she concurrently served as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. She previously served as the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She assumed her last assignment on June 7, 2016.^[2]

Howard has achieved many historical firsts throughout her naval career. She was the first African-American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship,^[3] the USS Rushmore,^[4][5] and the first to achieve two- and three-star rank. In 2006, she was selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half),^[6] making her the first admiral selected from the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1982 and the first female graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy selected for flag rank. On July 1, 2014, Howard became the first woman to become a U.S. Navy four-star admiral.^[7] As Vice Chief of Naval Operations, which she began that same day, she was the first African-American and the first woman to hold that post.^[8] Howard also became the first female four-star admiral to command operational forces, when she assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. Howard retired on 1 December 2017 after nearly 36 years of service in the United States Navy.

Early life and education[edit]

Howard was born at March Air Force Base in California, the daughter of former U.S. Air Force master sergeant, Nick Howard, and his British wife, Phillipa. She is a 1978 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and from the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College in 1998 with a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences.

Career[edit]

Howard meeting with U.S. Navy sailors aboard USS Fort McHenry in July 2009

Howard gives a speech at the New York Mercantile Exchange in June 2010, during Fleet Week.

Howard’s initial sea tours were aboard the USS Hunley and the USS Lexington. While serving on board USS Lexington, she received the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award in May 1987. This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. She reported to USS Mount Hood as Chief Engineer in 1990 and served in the Persian Gulf War, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She assumed duties as First Lieutenant on board the USS Flint in July 1992. In January 1996, she became the Executive Officer of USS Tortuga and deployed to the Adriatic in support of Operation Joint Endeavor, a peacekeeping effort in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Sixty days after returning from the Mediterranean deployment, Tortuga departed on a West African Training Cruise, where the ship's sailors, with embarked U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard detachment, operated with the naval services of seven African nations.

Howard took command of USS Rushmore on March 12, 1999, becoming the first African-American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy. Howard commanded Amphibious Squadron 7 from May 2004 to September 2005. Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group 5, operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia and maritime security operations in the North Persian Gulf.

Howard addressing the crew of the USS Wasp in December 2009

Howard's shore assignments include: Course Coordinator/Instructor for the Steam Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) course; Action Officer and Navy's liaison to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Military Services (DACOWITS) in the Bureau of Personnel; Action Officer J-3, Global Operations, Readiness on the Joint Staff from 2001–2003; Executive Assistant to the Joint Staff Director of Operations from February 2003 to February 2004; and Deputy Director N3 on the OPNAV Staff from December 2005 to July 2006.

Howard was the Deputy Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, OPNAV staff from July 2006 to December 2006, and senior military assistant to the secretary of the Navy January 2007 – January 2009. She served as chief of staff to the director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff from August 2010 until July 2012.^[3] From August 2012 to July 2013 VAdm Howard served as Deputy Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command headquartered in Norfolk, Va.

Howard assumed command of Expeditionary Strike Group 2 and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in April 2009. Boxer was the flagship for CTF 151, a multinational task force established to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean. She played a key role in the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, whose kidnapping by Somali pirates became a major motion picture film.^[9]

Howard was promoted to rear admiral (lower half), effective September 1, 2007 and to rear admiral, effective August 1, 2010. She was promoted to vice admiral on August 24, 2012.

On July 1, 2014, Howard was promoted to admiral. She became the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations the same day.^[10]

Dates of ranks[edit]

Promotions

Rank	Date
Admiral	July 1, 2014
Vice admiral	August 24, 2012
Rear admiral	August 1, 2010
Rear admiral (lower half)	September 1, 2007[6]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge
Surface Warfare Officer Pin
Defense Distinguished Service Medal | Navy Distinguished Service Medal w/ 1 gold award star
Defense Superior Service Medal w/ 1 bronze oak leaf cluster	Legion of Merit w/ 2 award stars	Meritorious Service Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ 3 award stars	Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal	Joint Meritorious Unit Award w/ 2 oak leaf clusters
Navy Unit Commendation	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ 3 bronze service stars	Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation with "O" device
National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal	Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 1 service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal	Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon w/ 1 silver service star	National Order of the Legion of Honour (Knight) (France)
NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Command at Sea insignia
Allied Joint Force Command Naples

She is the recipient of the 2008 Women of Color Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Career Achievement Award, 2009 Dominion Power Strong Men and Women Excellence in Leadership Award,^[11] and the 2011 USO Military Woman of the Year.^[12]

On February 1, 2013, Howard was honored with the "Chairman's Award" at the 44th NAACP Image Awards.^[12] She is a 1987 recipient of the Secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins Award.

On June 13, 2015, Admiral Howard was awarded the Doctor of Public Service honorary degree from the American Public University System for her many years of service in the United States Navy, her contribution to the advancement of women in the United States Military, and to her continued service to the people of the United States and around the world.

In popular culture[edit]

• A female voice identified as "Admiral Howard" is included in the 2013 film, Captain Phillips. By radio, Admiral Howard coordinated the rescue of the ship’s commander, later depicted in the movie.^[13]

See also[edit]

• List of female United States military generals and flag officers

References[edit]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Navy document "Vice Admiral Michelle Howard".

Further reading[edit]

• "Michelle Howard". Contemporary Black Biography. The Gale Group, Inc. 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
• Salter, Stephanie (April 18, 2009). "In a generation, a sea change has come to the U.S. Navy". The Tribune-Star. Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
• "First female grad to make admiral reflects on career". Annapolis Capital. May 26, 2006.
• "Naval Academy Holds "30 Years of Women" Conference". Navy NewsStand. September 14, 2006. Archived from the original on November 26, 2006.
• "PHIBRON 7 Assumes Responsibilities as MSO for CTF 58". Navy NewsStand. February 9, 2005. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007.
• "Amphibious Squadron 7 Commander Meets With Coalition Partners to Discuss Humanitarian Relief Efforts". Navy NewsStand. January 11, 2005.
• "MAKING WAVES In The New Navy – African American naval officers". Ebony. September 1999.
• "Flag Officer Announcements". February 10, 2009.
• "Multi-National Task Force Focuses On Preventing Piracy". All Things Considered. NPR. April 13, 2009.
• "Task force commander has busy first week". Navy Times. April 22, 2009.
• Essence (December 16, 2009). "A Hero Among Us: Exclusive Interview with Admiral Michelle Howard". Essence. Essence Communications, Inc. Retrieved February 16, 2014.

External links[edit]

• Official website
• Appearances on C-SPAN