The first US Navy carrier to deploy under the leadership of a female commanding officer was made history Monday when it set sail from San Diego.
The first female carrier skipper, Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, assumed command of the carrier in August.
Bauernschmidt was the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock in San Diego before he took command of the Lincoln. She was the first woman to serve as the second-in-command on a carrier.
Bauernschmidt commanded Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70 while he was on the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, supporting the war in Afghanistan.
The commanding officer of the ship, Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, held a press conference before the ship's deployment.
The US Navy.
Bauernschmidt said in a statement that "there is no more sense of responsibility than to know you are being watched by the people who have chosen to protect our nation."
The Lincoln left San Diego Monday for a regular deployment as part of the Carrier Strike Group 3, which also included one guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers.
The first Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron, the "Black Knights" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, deployed with the Lincoln.
The F-35C is not the first carrier to deploy. The first Navy carrier to sail with an integrated air wing consisted of both fourth- and fifth- generation fighters.
An F-35C lands.
A photo of the US Marine Corps. Charles Allen.
One of the Marine F-35C pilots talked to Insider. The pilot said that the jet makes the carrier much more lethal.
The Navy said in its statement that the next iteration of the Carrier Air Wing will be more lethal and survivable in today's battle space.
The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group began preparing for this deployment last April and recently completed a month-long exercise to certify the strike group ahead of its deployment.
The Navy did not give any information on the deployment of the CSG, only saying that it is in support of global maritime security operations.
