Patricia Ann Tracey Patricia Ann Tracey ( born November 30 , 1950 ) was the first American woman to be promoted to the rank of vice admiral . She retired as a vice admiral in 2004 . She held the positions of Chief of Naval Education and Training ( CNET ) ( 1996 – 98 ) , Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy ( 1998 – 2001 ) , and Director of Navy Staff from 2001 until the time of her retirement on October 1 , 2004 . At that time , she was also the all - time senior - ranking female officer in the United States military . Background . Patricia Ann Tracey was born in The Bronx , New York . She graduated from the Academy of Mount St . Ursula High School in 1966 and graduated from The College of New Rochelle with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics , completed Women ' s Officer Candidate School , and was commissioned as an Ensign in the U . S . Navy in 1970 . She also earned a Master ' s Degree , with distinction , in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey , California . Navy career . Her initial assignment in the United States Navy was to the Naval Space Surveillance Systems in Dahlgren , Virginia where she qualified as a Command Center Officer and Orbital Analyst . Following a tour on the staff of the Commander of the Pacific Fleet , she served at the Bureau of Naval Personnel as the Placement Officer for graduate education and service college students . From 1980 to 1982 , Tracey served as an extended planning analyst in the Systems Analysis division on the Chief of Naval Operations ’ staff . She served as Executive Officer of the Naval Recruiting District in Buffalo , New York , until 1984 , where she was assigned as a manpower and personnel analyst in the Program Appraisal Division of the Chief of Naval Operations ’ staff . Her first command tour was at the Naval Technical Training Center at Treasure Island , California , from 1986 to 1988 , followed by a staff position with the Chief of Naval Personnel as the head of the Enlisted Plans and Community Management Branch . She served as Commanding Officer of Naval Station Long Beach , then the second largest homeport of the Pacific Fleet . Tracey became a Fellow with the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group at the Naval War College in 1992 . She was assigned as Director for Manpower and Personnel on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , serving in this capacity from 1993 to 1995 . She subsequently served from June 1995 to June 1996 as Commander , Naval Training Center , Great Lakes , home of a longstanding Navy boot camp . Tracey was nominated for appointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as Chief of Naval Education and Training ( CNET ) and Director Naval Training , N7 , Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon in May 1996 . Tracey served in this position from 1996 to 1998 . In September 1998 , Tracey was assigned as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Military Manpower and Personnel Policy , the Pentagon . In June 2001 , Tracey was assigned as director , Navy Staff , N09B , Office of the Chief of Naval Operations , Pentagon . She retired from this billet on September 2 , 2004 . Personal life . On September 10 , 1977 , Tracey married fellow naval officer Richard Metzer . Now works at HP Awards and decorations . Tracey ' s awards include :