In 1994, the combat prohibition ban was lifted, and Octavia Harris became one of the first enlisted woman to serve aboard a combatant warship. She served aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68), her CMC sea tour was aboard USS Pinckney (DDG 91), and her last tour was as CMC of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, leading 10,000 men and women in support of the command’s vision and mission. She served for 30 years, mentoring hundreds of Sailors, and still uses her military training to help sexual assault survivors today, serving as a member of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veteran and as a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service. Additionally, Harris is the Texas Ambassador for the Military Women’s Memorial.

Last Updated: 30 March 2023