Years of service 1985-2010 Battles and wars Iraq War | Name Holly Graf | |
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Allegiance United States of America Commands held USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81)USS Cowpens (CG-63) Battles/wars Operation Iraqi Freedom Awards Legion of MeritBronze StarDefense Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (with one gold star). Education | ||
Commands held USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81), USS Cowpens (CG-63) Battles/wars Operation Iraqi Freedom Nationality American Similar Robert L Gibson, Andrew Baldwin, Alan Bean | ||
Holly graf
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. Graf was relieved of command for abusive behavior unbecoming of an officer and was featured in Time magazine that characterized her as a modern-day female "Captain Bligh." 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."
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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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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. However, after losing her command, Graf was reassigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center's laboratory in Dahlgren, Virginia.
In November 2010, a board of inquiry, consisting of three admirals, conducted hearings to examine her conduct. On December 3, 2010, the board recommended that Graf be discharged from the Navy, allowing her retirement under general conditions and enabling her to retire at 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. 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."
Military awards
Graf's awards include: