Photo By Lt. Anthony Junco | MAYPORT Fla. (March 31, 2023) - Cmdr. Kari Yakubisin, commanding officer of the...... read more read more
On the final day of Women’s History Month, the triad of the Freedom-variant Pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Nantucket (LCS 27) discussed the importance of the heritage month and shared their experience as commanding officer, executive officer, and command senior chief of Nantucket.
Cmdr. Kari Yakubisin, commanding officer of Nantucket, commissioned in May 2005 through the Vanderbilt University and completed Nuclear Power School and Prototype in April of 2008. “I have a call to public service,” said Yakubisin. “I think I was lucky in that the environment I was raised fostered in me a high sense of social justice, and the military was one way for me to pay all of that forward and to give back to the community.”
Cmdr. Angela Eickelmann, executive officer of Nantucket, graduated from Texas A&M and also commissioned through the ROTC program. “Growing up, I knew if I wanted to go to college, my one way to do that was to find scholarships to pay for it,” said Eickelmann. “My grandfather on my father’s side served in the Navy in World War II, and my grandfather on my mother’s side served in Vietnam in the infantry. They were very proud of that, and I was proud of that history too.”
Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2 takes pride in honoring the many service members who have set the standard for today’s surface warfare community and celebrates the rich history of the women within our ranks. In 1948, women gained permanent status in the Navy with the passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, and in 2016, the Department of Defense opened all military occupations and positions to women.
“There have been many women leaders throughout my career that have inspired me,” said Monica Bolton, command senior chief of Nantucket. “There have been two who took a personal interest in my development as a leader. These two women leaders taught me the importance of investing in myself and realizing my potential as a leader. Once I did that, I was able to lead confidently and with true purpose.”
“It’s the being around Sailors that gets me out of the bed each morning and keeps me motivated,” said Yakubisin. “I see it as my goal is to make so that they can do their jobs easier, so that everyone simply wants to come to work and keep doing the job. The Navy is a family, and the Navy and the Sailors have become like family, largely due to how long I’ve been away from my own.”
Success in their military careers has also come with a number of personal challenges and sacrifices. However, overcoming those challenges has offered both experiences and insights which they pass on to Sailors to help them overcome similar challenges and advance in their military careers.
“Finding your support structure is incredibly important,” said Eickelmann. “Support can come from your family, a good group of friends, other Sailors, especially when you have young children. I think about my daughter, the influences she has right now and think it’s important for her to see that she can be a young woman and have strong opinions and be a great leader."
1981, Congress passed a joint resolution establishing Women’s History Week, and in 1987, proclaimed March Women’s History Month to celebrate the accomplishments of women throughout American history.
“To me, the value of not only Women’s History Month, but all of the diversity months, is in discovering the incredible stories and contributions of people who likely did not receive the recognition they deserved at the time,” said Yakubisin.
The Littoral Combat Ship is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2023 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 441677 |
| Location: | MAYPORT, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 680 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Littoral combat ship (LCS)
