Master Chief Anna Der-Vartanian became the first woman in the U.S. Armed Forces to be promoted to the highest enlisted rank of E-9 in 1959. In 1943, Der-Vartanian joined the U.S. Navy as an apprentice seaman in the WAVES. She served at Great Lakes; Naval Station Treasure Island; Pearl Harbor; Naval Air Station Lakehurst, and served in administrative roles at various other duty stations. Following promotion to master chief, she became the first woman to serve as chief clerk in the Office of U.S. National Military Representative, Supreme Head Allied Powers Europe, in Paris, France. She then served in the legal office at Naval Station Washington, before her retirement from the Navy in 1963 with 20 years of service.

Last Updated: 29 March 2023