The Navy announced yesterday that for the first time in its history a female lieutenant commander would be captain of a patrol vessel.
In a press statement yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Sandy Yen (
This would make her the nation's first female captain, Yen said.
SACRIFICES
The Navy later confirmed the news.
Vice Admiral Sun Yi-cheng (
"Hsieh is an outstanding naval officer. As a wife and a mother, she will often be unable to see her family for periods as long as two weeks while her vessel carries its duties out at sea," Sun said.
As the vessel is based in Keelung while her family lives in Pingtung County, accepting the position represented a significant sacrifice on Hsieh's part, Sun said.
RISING STAR
Yen said Hsieh was born and grew up in Changhwa County.
She entered the Naval Academy in 1994 and after graduating in 1998 served as a communications intelligence officer and intelligence officer in different units.
Yen said few female naval officers have been able to serve for a long time in the Navy, mostly because of family factors.
She said she was proud of Hsieh for becoming the nation's first female captain.
She said Hsieh had just completed her training to become captain of smaller warships, but because she had obtained outstanding grades, she was selected to become captain of a patrol vessel.
Another lieutenant commander, Chen Yi-shin (
Chen, Yen said, is vice captain on a PG-617.
In her statement, Yen quoted Hsieh as saying that she would gladly take the challenge and do her best as the captain of a patrol vessel.
The 500 tonne Chin Chiang-class patrol vessel is designed and built by the state-owned China Shipbuilding Corp.
Relatively lightweight, but having heavy firepower and high mobility, it is used for port reconnaissance and regional patrol missions.
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