Paducah native is first woman to command USS Constitution

Commander Billie Farrell took command of the 224-year-old warship in January

PADUCAH, Ky. (WTVQ) – It’s Women’s History Month and a woman from Kentucky is making history. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, as of last year, women comprise just 14% of senior enlisted personnel in the U.S. military. One of those women made history recently.

Commander Billie Farrell is the first woman to command the USS Constitution, taking command of the 224-year-old warship in late January.

“It’s so amazing to have the opportunity to serve in this role. When I look at the names of the 76 commanding officers that came before me and the naval heroes that are on that board, it’s amazing by itself, but then to get the platform to stand here and represent the 70,000 women serving in active duty in the Navy today is just a humbling and amazing experience,” said Commander Farrell.

The Paducah native is a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Commander Farrell has served in the Navy for 18 years.