NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) — Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) kicked off Women’s History Month March 3, by paying tribute to the trail-blazing women who have served our service and our nation including a St. Joseph native.
According to the Navy Office of Community Outreach, Cmdr Hannah Kriewaldt of St. Joseph is the only female Chief Engineer serving aboard an aircraft carrier.
Senior Chief Aviation Maintenance Administrationman Sonya Best served as the moderator during the ceremony and presented an historical look at women and their accomplishments beginning with Abigail Adams, the first lady, to Kriewaldt chief engineer serving on board Abraham Lincoln, who also served as the guest speaker during the ceremony.
“We honor Women’s History Month by celebrating women who have shaped the value of organizations with class and bold leadership,” Best said, who then introduced Lincoln’s CHENG.
Kriewaldt shared her personal journey as a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an officer. She advised the attendees to look at life as a journey and to look at what you can learn from it each and every day.
“I chose to focus on the small victories,” Kriewaldt said, adding that she enjoys living in the moment whether it is spending time with her department
or mentoring her Sailors.
Kriewaldt, who is one of four children, followed her father’s footsteps in joining the Navy. Her father retired as a chaplain from the Navy Reserves,
and Kriewaldt’s older brother and sister, also joined the Navy. Her youngest brother shares her interest of engineering and works at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
“Every day is an adventure working in Engineering,” Kriewaldt said. She stated that lessons learned early in her career have served as guideposts as she continued her journey as a naval officer.
According to Kriewaldt,teamwork and tenacity have guided her through her naval career. “Leverage the strengths of your teammates and you’ll never
know where you will go.”
Lincoln is currently undergoing refueling complex and overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.
Other locals also serving aboard the aircraft carrier include Petty Officer Ryan Wampler of St. Joseph, Mo. AND Petty Officer Katherine Teague from Tarkio, Mo.
Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz class to undergo an RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most
modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the nation’s defense.