Sara A. Joyner

Sara Annette Joyner (born 1967)[1] is a United States Navy officer. She is the first female strike fighter pilot to command a United States Navy fighter squadron and a carrier air wing.[2] Her promotion to rear admiral (lower half) was authorized by the United States Senate on 25 May 2017.[3] On 24 February, the Secretary of Defence announced that Joyner would be promoted to the rank of rear admiral (upper half);[4] she was pinned on 1 April 2021. She was promoted to vice admiral on 3 June 2022.[5]

Sara A. Joyner
Birth nameSara Annette Applegarth
Nickname(s)Clutch
Born1967 (age 55–56)
Hoopers Island, Maryland, US
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1989–present
RankVice Admiral
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards

Early life and education

Sara Annette Applegarth was born on Hoopers Island in Maryland.[6] She is one of four children of Samuel Hubert Applegarth Jr. and Sara Jane (McClaran) Applegarth. Her father, Commander Hubert Applegarth, retired from active duty in the United States Navy in 1977, having graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1951.[7] The family property in the village of Honga on Upper Hoopers Island was purchased by Sara's great-grandfather William Francis Applegarth Sr. in 1891.[8] Her great-grandfather later served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate.[9]

Applegarth also attended the United States Naval Academy. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography in 1989 and was commissioned as an ensign.[2][10] She then attended flight school and earned her naval aviator wings in July 1991.[2]

Career

Sara Joyner became a fighter pilot in 1996, flying an F/A-18 Hornet with VFA-147.[6] She assumed command of Strike Fighter Squadron 105 from Commander Douglas C. Verissimo on 2 March 2007.[11] She turned over command to Commander Thomas R. Tennant on 9 June 2008.[12]

Joyner later became deputy commander of Carrier Air Wing Three, assuming full command from Captain Michael S. Wallace on 4 January 2013.[6] The air wing embarked on a deployment aboard USS Harry S. Truman on 22 July 2013.[13] She commanded the air wing until relieved by Captain George Wikoff on 22 December 2013.[13]

In June 2018, Joyner became Director for Manpower and Personnel, J1 for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[14][15] In August 2019, she assumed command of Carrier Strike Group 2.[16] Joyner was succeeded by Rear Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman at the end of April 2020.[17] Joyner served as chief of legislative affairs for the Department of the Navy until May 2022.[18]

In April 2022, Joyner was nominated for promotion to vice admiral and assignment as director for force structure, resources and assessment of the Joint Staff (J8).[19][20] She was promoted on 3 June 2022.[5]

Personal

Joyner is married to James Mitchell Joyner IV, her Naval Academy classmate and fellow naval aviator.[10][21] They were married on 19 February 1992 in Cameron County, Texas,[22] and have two children.[6][21] Her husband Commander James Joyner retired from active duty in the navy in 2014.

References
  1. Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy on Active Duty. Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1 October 1990. p. 177. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  2. "Talking with Capt. Sara A. "Clutch" Joyner". Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  3. "PN111-1 — Navy". U.S. Congress. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  4. Staff, Seapower (24 February 2021). "SECDEF Announces Navy Rear Admiral Nominations". Seapower. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  5. "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public), June 2022" (PDF). MyNavyHR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  6. Hixenbaugh, Mike (5 January 2013). "First female commander of carrier air wing takes reins". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  7. "Obituaries". The Washington Post. 27 January 1998. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  8. Hedberg, Jacqueline Simmons (2016). Hoopers Island's Changing Face. Arcadia Publishing. p. 24.
  9. "William F. Applegarth (1842–1920)". Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series). Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. "PN151 — Navy". U.S. Congress. 1989. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  11. Comerford, Tim (30 March 2011). "Women change Navy roles through effort, dedication". The Flagship. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  12. Heimer, Cathy (12 June 2008). "Historic change of command for 'Gunslingers'". The Flagship. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  13. "CVW-3 Changes Command". U.S. Navy. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  14. "Flag Officer Assignment". U.S. Department of Defense. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  15. "Rear Adm. Sara Joyner". Joint Chiefs of Staff. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  16. Vazquez, Joseph C. (29 August 2019). "CSG-2 Conducts Change of Command". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  17. "Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 Changes Command". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  18. "Flag Officer Assignments JUNE 2, 2020". defense.gov. US Department of Defense. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020. Rear Adm. (lower half) Sara A. Joyner is currently serving as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. Joyner previously served as commander, Carrier Strike Group Two, Norfolk, Virginia.
  19. "Flag Officer Announcements". United States Department of Defense. 26 April 2022.
  20. "PN1986 — Rear Adm. Sara A. Joyner — Navy". United States Congress. 25 April 2022.
  21. Heimer, Cathy (28 January 2011). "Naval aviator's career includes many 'firsts' for women". The Flagship. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  22. Marriage Index, 1966–2014. Austin, Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services.
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