Kayla Barron poses for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on July 12, 2019. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Lt. Cmdr. Kayla Barron, one of the first women to serve on a Navy submarine, is now one step closer to being one of the first women to walk on the Moon.
After obtaining a master’s degree, Barron was part of the first group of women to become submarine warfare officers. She attended the Navy’s nuclear power and submarine officer training program, and was assigned to the Ohio-class submarine USS Maine. While serving on the USS Maine, Barron completed three patrols as a division officer. Following her submarine assignment, Barron was Flag Aide to the Superintendent at the Naval Academy until her selection as an astronaut.
Barron, 33, who commissioned as a Navy officer in 2010, was selected by NASA out of a pool of approximately 18,000 people to join the 2017 astronaut candidate class. She is currently training for the SpaceX Crew-3 mission, where she will work aboard the International Space Station as a mission specialist. The launch is planned for October 30, 2021.
“I think I’ve been lucky to be in the right place at the right time for some of these big changes, the submarine force being a great example. They opened the community to women during my senior year at the Naval Academy, allowing me to volunteer to serve in that community,” Barron said.
The Jordan family of four – husband and wife Billy and Linda, and sons Jack and Callum – received a free tour of the USS Bowfin by Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum executive director Chuck Merkel. They also received a gift certificate to the museum gift shop and a complimentary lunch.
“Welcoming our 11 millionth visitor marks an incredible milestone for the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and we are grateful for all of our visitors since opening to the public over 40 years ago,” said Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum executive director Chuck Merkel. “Thanks to our dedicated museum staff, this achievement underscores the lasting significance of preserving the legacy of the submariners who served aboard the USS Bowfin during World War II. It is a privilege to share this historic vessel and its stories with people from around the world.”
Named after an aggressive freshwater predator native to North America, the USS Bowfin was launched on December 7, 1942, and nicknamed the ‘Pearl Harbor Avenger.’ Over the course of nine successful war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, the Bowfin lived up to both her namesake and her nickname. Donated to the Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association in 1979, the submarine was opened to the public in April 1981 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
Located at 11 Arizona Memorial Drive at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum and USS Bowfin submarine are open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For more information, call (808) 423-1341 or plan your visit here.
