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Meet the Navy’s first female executive officer of a nuclear warship

Posted at 4:49 PM, Nov 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-12 16:49:53-05

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt (CBS News)

CBS News has been shining a spotlight on service men and women and their most recent profile was of a woman based locally.

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt is the first woman in Navy history to be the executive officer (XO) of a nuclear warship.

She is second in command of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Every morning  Capt. Bauernschmidt begins the day with what she calls “XO power hour” while keeping an eye on Sailors as they clean their stations.

CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford asked Capt. Bauernschmidt if she ever stops to think about what it means to be XO of this carrier. She replied, “Not usually because my days are really busy… It is incredibly humbling though.… I’m glad I’m busy every day because if you think about it too much, it can get a little daunting. So it’s easier to just get in and do the work.”

The Milwaukee native graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1994, during her senior year, Congress repealed the law preventing women from serving on combat ships or planes, CBS News said.

In August the Navy announced the USS Lincoln will change homeports from Norfolk to San Diego.

Click here to read the entire profile on Capt. Bauernschmidt.