Holly Graf

Who is 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, 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. Her personal decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, among others.