Flag of many firsts to retire

NAPLES, Italy - Adm. Michelle Howard, the first woman to become a four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy, will end her 35-year naval career when she retires by January. Howard, 57, will relinquish command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples to Vice Adm. James Foggo, who will be promoted to admiral, when he takes command Oct. 20. Howard has commanded naval forces in Africa and Europe since June 2016. Her career is filled by many Navy firsts. In 2014, she became the first four-star flag officer when she took the reins of Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Two years later, she was head of the the Europe-and-Africa command becoming the first female four-star to command operational forces. She was the first black woman to achieve two-star rank. In 1999, Howard was the first African-American woman to command a Navy combat ship, the dock-landing ship USS Rushmore. Howard also planned the 2009 mission to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates who seized his cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. (Source: Stars and Stripes 09/26/17) Gulf Coast Note: Howard was a junior officer aboard the training aircraft carrier USS Lexington (AVT 16) when it was based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. NAS Meridian, Miss., flight students used the 'Lady Lex' for landing qualifications. USS Rushmore was built at Avondale (La.) Shipyards.