Michelle J . Howard Michelle Janine Howard ( born April 30 , 1960 ) is an African - American naval officer and a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy . She currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations , Plans and Strategy ( N3 / N5 ) . Howard is the first African - American woman to achieve three star rank in the U . S . Armed Forces . She is the first African - American woman to command a U . S . Navy ship . In 2006 , she was selected for the rank of Rear Admiral lower half , making her the first admiral selected from the United States Naval Academy class of 1982 and the first woman graduate of the United States Naval Academy selected for Admiral . Early life and education . Howard was born to retired U . S . Air Force master sergeant Nick Howard and his wife Phillipa . She is a 1978 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora , Colorado . She graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1982 and from the Army ’ s Command and General Staff College in 1998 with a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences . Career . Howard ’ s initial sea tours were aboard the USS " Hunley " ( AS - 31 ) and the USS " Lexington " ( AVT - 16 ) . While serving on board " Lexington " , she received the Secretary of the Navy / Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award in May 1987 . This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership . She reported to USS " Mount Hood " ( AE - 29 ) as Chief Engineer in 1990 and served in the Persian Gulf War , during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . She assumed duties as First Lieutenant on board the USS " Flint " ( AE - 32 ) in July 1992 . In January 1996 , she became the Executive Officer of USS " Tortuga " ( LSD - 46 ) and deployed to the Adriatic in support of Operation Joint Endeavor , a peacekeeping effort in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia . Sixty days after returning from the Mediterranean deployment , " Tortuga " departed on a West African Training Cruise , where the ship ’ s sailors , with embarked U . S . Marines and U . S . Coast Guard detachment , operated with the naval services of seven African nations . Howard took command of USS " Rushmore " ( LSD - 47 ) on March 12 , 1999 , becoming the first African - American woman to command a ship in the U . S . Navy . Howard commanded Amphibious Squadron 7 from May 2004 to September 2005 . Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group ( ESG ) 5 , operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia and maritime security operations in the North Persian Gulf . Howard ' s shore assignments include : Course Coordinator / Instructor for the Steam Engineering Officer of the Watch ( EOOW ) course ; Action Officer and Navy ’ s liaison to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Military Services ( DACOWITS ) in the Bureau of Personnel ; Action Officer J - 3 , Global Operations , Readiness on the Joint Staff from 2001 – 2003 ; Executive Assistant to the Joint Staff Director of Operations from February 2003 to February 2004 ; and Deputy Director N3 on the OPNAV Staff from December 2005 to July 2006 . Howard was the Deputy Director , Expeditionary Warfare Division , OPNAV staff from July 2006 to December 2006 , and senior military assistant to the secretary of the Navy January 2007 - January 2009 . She served as chief of staff to the director for Strategic Plans and Policy , J - 5 , Joint Staff from August 2010 until July 2012 . From August 2012 to July 2013 VAdm Howard served as Deputy Commander U . S . Fleet Forces Command headquartered in Norfolk , Va . Howard assumed command of Expeditionary Strike Group ( ESG ) 2 and Combined Task Force ( CTF ) 151 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS " Boxer " ( LHD - 4 ) in April 2009 . The USS " Boxer " was the flagship for CTF 151 , a multinational task force established to conduct counter - piracy operations in the Indian Ocean . Howard was promoted to Rear Admiral ( lower half ) , effective September 1 , 2007 and to Rear Admiral , effective August 1 , 2010 . She was promoted to Vice Admiral on August 24 , 2012 . Personal life . On February 1 , 2013 , Howard was honored with the " Chairman ' s Award " at the 44th NAACP Image Awards . She is a 1987 recipient of the Secretary of the Navy / Navy League Captain Winifred Collins Award .