Gregory Promoted to Admiral

VIRGINA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Katherine L. Gregory, CEC, USN, was promoted to her present rank on June 1 in a ceremony Virginia Beach, Va.

Gregory is currently chief of staff for the First Naval Construction Division in Virginia Beach, Va., which oversees about 16,000 Navy Seabees worldwide. She will report to her next assignment as Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July.

This promotion caps a series of milestones for the St. Louis native, who was the first female executive officer of a Seabee battalion and first female commanding officer of an active Seabee battalion.

"This promotion is simply the result of generous mentoring by my chains of command, tremendous help from all the wonderful Navy men and women with whom I've served, friendship of my peers, and unfailing support of my friends and most of all my family. To all of them I am very grateful," she said.

Rear Adm. Mark A. Handley, Commander 1st Naval Construction Division, performed the promotion ceremony. During the ceremony, he also presented her a Legion of Merit Award.

Gregory graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 and was commissioned as a Civil Engineer Corps officer. Her Seabee tours include assignment as a company commander and detachment officer in charge of Amphibious Construction Battalion 1; as the Seabee action officer at Naval Facilities Command Headquarters; and as the executive officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1. Her first command tour was as the commanding officer of NMCB 133. She also served as commander of 30th Naval Construction Regiment, during which she deployed to the Al Anbar Province, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gregory's other duty assignments include serving as assistant resident officer in charge of construction (ROICC) in Yokosuka, Japan; ROICC San Francisco Bay, Calif.; and OICC Naples Italy; ROICC and public works officer, Adak, Alaska; executive officer of Navy Public Works Center and Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii; overseas bases action officer, OPNAV N-44; and as a defense corporate fellow with the Southern Company.

Although the Combat Exclusion Law prohibited women from assignment to Seabee units when she first joined the Navy, she explained that the CEC community leadership was aggressive in getting the units opened as polices changed and has been supportive of women throughout her career.

"I have never felt restricted or precluded by our leadership from any opportunity. In fact, most of the opportunities I've been offered were at the suggestion of my chains of command or peers," she said.

Gregory credits a long list of people who have helped her during her career, including her family, friends, and CEC leadership who all encouraged her
to not be afraid of change and to never give up. "I think not giving up is the real key to success," she said.

Gregory will not be alone in the ranks of female CEC flag officers as Capt. Paula C. Brown, CEC, USN, an Oregon native, is awaiting Senate confirmation for promotion to rear admiral later this year. Brown is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for engineering, U.S. Naval Forces Korea. Brown, a graduate from the University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif., was commissioned in the Civil Engineer Corps in July 1982. She was the first female Civil Engineer Corps officer to command a Seabee regiment, serving as Commander 30th NCR (Forward) in Iraq from September 2005 to March 2006.

For more news from Commander, 1st Naval Construction Division, visit www.navy.mil/local/1ncd/.