Sarah West
Sarah West | |
---|---|
![]() Commander West in 2013 | |
Born | 1972 (age 51–52) Grimsby,Lincolnshire,England |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1995–2014 |
Rank | Commander |
Commands | HMSRamsey HMSPenzance HMSPembroke HMSShoreham HMSPortland |
Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Sarah West(born 1972) is a retiredRoyal Navyofficer, the first woman to be appointed to command a major warship in the Royal Navy.
West was born inLincolnshireand studied mathematics at theUniversity of Hertfordshirebefore enteringBritannia Royal Naval Collegein September 1995. She joined the Royal Navy as a warfare officer. She also took a law degree whilst on active service in theMiddle Eastand is an expert in large-scale naval planning, mine clearance, weapons systems and underwater warfare. She was trained onHMSBattleaxe,HMSSandownandHMSSheffield,deployed in thePersian Gulf.West went on to join theminesweeperHMSCottesmoreas a navigator in 1997, and later served as officer of the watch of HMSSheffieldand navigating officer ofHMSSomerset.[1]
West went on to complete thePrincipal Warfare Officers' course,specialising in underwater warfare, and joinedHMSCornwallin 2003. She became Operations Officer inHMSNorfolkin 2004, and spent some time as the ship's executive officer. She was with Commander Amphibious Task Group from 2005 as the underwater warfare specialist, then atPermanent Joint HeadquartersatNorthwoodfrom 2007, followed by work with the Middle East Operations Team.[1]West went on to command several of the ships of the First Mine Counter Measures Squadron between April 2009 and December 2011,HMSRamsey,HMSPenzance,HMSPembrokeandHMSShoreham.She has also worked on the co-ordination and logistics of the evacuation of UK citizens during the2006 Lebanon War,naval operations at the time of the2008 Kosovo declaration of independenceand the British naval contribution to theIraq War.She was promoted tocommanderin January 2012.[1]
In May 2012 West assumed command ofHMSPortland,aType 23 frigate.[2][3]West left the ship during a seven-month deployment to the Caribbean in mid-2014, after allegations that she had had an affair with one of her officers.[4]The Royal Navy was reported to be investigating the allegations.[5]On 8 August 2014 the Navy announced that West had been removed from command, citing an "internal matter", and that she would be reappointed to another post.[6]
References
[edit]- ^abc"Sarah West"(PDF).royalnavy.mod.uk.MOD. 26 July 2014.Retrieved26 July2014.
- ^"First woman to command Royal Navy frigate takes helm".22 May 2012. The Guardian
- ^"First woman to command a major Navy warship takes up post"(Press release). Ministry of Defence(UK). 22 May 2012.Retrieved30 May2012.
- ^"First female Navy commander leaves ship amid affair claim".BBC News.BBC. 26 July 2014.Retrieved26 July2014.
- ^"Navy warship commander leaves ship over affair claims".The Guardian.26 July 2014.Retrieved28 July2014.
- ^"First female navy commander removed after affair claim".BBC News.BBC. 8 August 2014.Retrieved8 August2014.
External links
[edit]- Wainwright, Martin (8 August 2011)."Royal Navy appoints first female warship commander".The Guardian.Retrieved9 August2011.
- "Royal Navy appoints first woman warship commander".BBC News.BBC. 8 August 2011.Retrieved8 August2011.