Simpson County KY Democratic Woman's Club

06/13/2026

This Women Veterans Recognition Day, we're paying special tribute to Admiral Lisa Franchetti and Admiral Linda Fagan, the two highest serving women in the military until they were both fired from their historic commands by the Trump administration with no explanation or justification. Former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, a four-star admiral, 40-year veteran, and the first woman to lead a military branch, was fired by Trump on Inauguration Day as one of his first acts in office. The following February, Pete Hegseth -- arguably the least qualified Defense Secretary in modern history -- then fired Admiral Lisa Franchetti -- a four-star admiral and the first woman to lead the Navy.

These abrupt firings represented just the beginning of Trump and Hegseth's sweeping military leadership purge -- condemned by one military expert as "squandering an enormous amount of talent" and treating decorated officers with shocking disregard after their lifelong commitment to serving the American people.

Hegseth's assault on women in uniform has only intensified since. In recent months he has personally struck women from senior promotion lists across multiple branches -- cutting every woman from the Navy's latest slate of one-star admirals and blocking female officers tapped to become Army generals. The Navy will not promote a single woman to admiral this year, though women make up roughly a quarter of its officer corps.

Admiral Linda Fagan was sworn in as the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in 2022, becoming the first woman to lead the Coast Guard in its 235-year history. During her 40 years with the Coast Guard, prior to becoming commandant, she has served on all seven continents; spent 15 years as a Marine Inspector; commanded Sector New York, controlling all Coast Guard operations in the New York metropolitan area and Albany; and served as the Coast Guard's second-in-command as well as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area.

After being fired by Trump on his first day in office, she was then abruptly evicted from her house at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling with just three hours of notice. She wasn't even given enough time to gather her personal effects and household goods even though Coast Guard leaders had granted her 60 days to find new housing. According to Homeland Security officials, the unnecessarily swift and cruel eviction was because, as the base's acting commandant was told, "the president wants her out of quarters."

Shortly after Fagan's eviction, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved into the Coast Guard commandant's home at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Military experts have noted this unprecedented pattern of Trump administration officials taking over housing traditionally reserved for senior military officers, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presidential adviser Stephen Miller have also done by moving onto military bases, as yet another concerning erosion of the boundaries between political appointees and military leadership.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy, spent roughly half of her 40-year long career at sea, rising to command the destroyer U.S.S. Ross, and later a destroyer squadron, two aircraft carrier strike groups, all naval forces in Korea and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. She became the 33rd chief of naval operations in 2023, making her the first woman to serve as a permanent member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ironically, this highly respected military leader with decades of distinction was fired by a former Fox News TV host with no senior military command experience, no experience managing large organizations, and no previous government service at any level. Hegseth's only notable 'qualification' is his absolute loyalty to Trump.

Trump and Hegseth's military leadership purge has also included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Vice Chief of the Air Force General James Slife, and the top lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The purge was fiercely denounced by five former U.S. defense secretaries, who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, in a scathing letter. "Mr. Trump's dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration's desire to politicize the military," they wrote. "We, like many Americans - including many troops - are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons."

"The United States cannot afford to have our military infected by partisan politics and distracted from its core mission of defending the nation," the defense secretaries concluded. "As George Washington warned Alexander Hamilton in 1783, after Hamilton had pressed military officers to insert themselves into domestic politics, 'The Army is a dangerous instrument to play with.' We're not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we're asking them to do their jobs. We're urging them to take George Washington's warning to heart."

The dismissal of these two pathbreaking leaders is particularly concerning as it leaves no women in four-star positions across the entire U.S. military -- effectively erasing years of progress toward a more diverse leadership that reflects the nation it defends. For many servicewomen, these admirals represented not just exceptional leadership but proof that the highest echelons of military command were attainable regardless of gender.

This Women Veterans Recognition Day, as we honor all who have served, we offer special thanks to these two remarkable leaders whose careers were cut short not for any failing in merit, capability, or dedication, but as a result of a destructive blend of ideological fanaticism, administrative incompetence, and vindictive malice. While partisan forces may have cut short their tenures, the example that Admirals Fagan and Franchetti set of leadership driven by excellence rather than ideology stands as a powerful reminder of what makes America's military truly strong.

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For a children's book that gives groundbreaking women in the military, past and present, the respect they deserve, we highly recommend "Heroism Begins With Her: Inspiring Stories of Bold, Brave, and Gutsy Women in the U.S. Military" for ages 9 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/heroism-begins-with-her

For more books for young readers that honor the service of women in the military, visit our blog post "The Price of Peace: A Mighty Girl Recognizes Veterans" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12356

For several fascinating books for teen and adult readers about heroic women who served in the U.S. military, we recommend "Women Heroes of World War II"(https://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii), "Women Heroes of the US Army" (https://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-us-army), and "Courageous Women of the Vietnam War" (https://www.amightygirl.com/courageous-women-vietnam)

For books for children and teens about the importance of standing up for truth, decency, and justice, even in dark times, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

To stay connected with A Mighty Girl, you can sign-up for our free email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter

06/09/2026

Trump administration is determined to erase women’s history and accomplishments.😡

The removal of articles about retired Col. Nicole Malachowski has sparked criticism because her place in Air Force history is not a political slogan, it is documented achievement. As the first female Thunderbird pilot, her story represents barriers broken, service earned, and a chapter of military history many believe should not be erased.

05/20/2026

05/11/2026

05/03/2026

At a time when the manosphere is bombarding young men with the idea that feminism is dangerous, the U.S. Secretary of Defense invites his Christian nationalist pastor -- who has called the 19th Amendment "a bad idea" -- to preach at the Pentagon, and the Trump administration is stripping away women's control over their own bodies -- there's no "gender war." There's a concerted effort to rebuild the old hierarchy -- and the people doing it aren't even hiding.

To inspire children and teens with the true stories of women who fought for women's rights and the rights of others throughout history, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

To introduce children to the heroic women of the Suffrage Movement -- who fought for over 70 years to win the vote for women -- visit our blog post, "Books for Kids & Adults About the U.S. Suffrage Movement” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11827

For powerful books for tweens and teens about girls living in real-life oppressive societies throughout history -- including religious autocracies -- visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426

Thanks to the National Organization for Women (NOW) for sharing this image!

04/17/2026

UNBELIEVABLE: The Trump administration just ordered the deletion of social media accounts that honored the service of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran.

They’re trying to erase Senator Duckworth’s brave contributions to our country—but we won’t let them.

Senator Duckworth served our country for over 20 years in the U.S. Army. While serving in the Iraq War, her Black Hawk helicopter was attacked, resulting in her losing both of her legs.

But that didn’t stop her.

After her injury, she was awarded a medical waiver to continue serving in the Illinois National Guard. She retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2014 before pursuing a life of service in the U.S. Congress.

Senator Duckworth is a true American patriot, and our country is safer and stronger because of her leadership. 🇺🇲

04/08/2026

Let that sink in...

We are so inspired by Christina Koch and all the women working at NASA who have made the Artemis II mission possible.

Their work is expanding what’s possible and reshaping who gets to be part of the journey. 🚀

03/08/2026

Happy International Women's Day! Today, we're celebrating remarkable girls and women of the past and present from around the world -- and we want to start off by hearing who inspires you!

From our mothers and teachers to famous women from history, there is no shortage of inspirational female role models! Please tell us which girls or women have most inspired you in the comments below.

For Women's History Month, we've sought out the best biographies and historical fiction for children and teens about inspiring girls and women of the past and present, many of whose stories have been neglected by history. To browse our extensive collection of books about Mighty Girl role models, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography/biography

For children's books about extraordinary global women, visit our blog post "50 Children's Books About Mighty Girls & Women Around The World" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=33102

You can also sort our biography collection by the various role models' specializations from science to the creative arts at https://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography?cat=206

For two titles to introduce kids to an assortment of inspiring women role models, we recommend the picture book "Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/shaking-things-up), and the illustrated biography "HerStory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World" for ages 8 to 13 (https://www.amightygirl.com/herstory)

To see more stories from A Mighty Girl, you can sign-up for A Mighty Girl's free email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter

03/06/2026

Experts believed six hours was the absolute limit any person could spend in a sensory deprivation tank before hallucinating. Jerrie Cobb lasted nine hours and forty minutes -- at which point the staff ended the test. She matched or outscored the male astronaut candidates across 75 tests, ranking in the top 2% of all candidates evaluated. It didn't matter -- because she was a woman.

Jerrie Cobb was born on this day in 1931 in Norman, Oklahoma, the daughter of a pilot who let her take the controls of his open-cockpit Waco biplane when she was twelve years old. She never looked back. By 16 she had her private pilot's license. By 19 she was teaching others to fly. By 21 she was ferrying military aircraft to allied air forces around the world. But skepticism about female pilots and a glut of qualified male pilots, veterans of World War II, meant that Cobb couldn't get prestigious flying jobs.

Cobb's answer was to outfly them all. In her 20s, she set world records for speed, distance, and absolute altitude. At the Paris Air Show -- the world's largest aviation showcase -- her fellow pilots awarded her the Amelia Earhart Gold Medal of Achievement and named her pilot of the year. She was the first woman ever to compete.

By the late 1950s, NASA was selecting its first astronaut candidates. The testing program had been designed by physician William Randolph Lovelace II, who grew curious whether women could meet the same standards as the men. NASA had no interest in finding out, so Lovelace arranged private funding and began recruiting on his own.

Of the women he invited, thirteen passed the rigorous physical screening -- a group that would become known as the Mercury 13. Cobb went further than any of them, completing all three phases of testing. She ranked in the top 2% of all candidates evaluated, male or female.

It was not enough. NASA required all astronaut candidates to be military test pilots -- a rule that, by design, excluded every woman in America. In 1963, Cobb traveled to Washington to argue the case before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Astronaut John Glenn testified against her. "The fact that women are not in this field," Glenn told the committee, "is a fact of our social order." The subcommittee sided with Glenn.

Only months later, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. "They shout at every turn about their democracy," Tereshkova said of American leaders, "and at the same time they announce they will not let a woman into space. This is open inequality."

NASA would not open the astronaut program to women until 1978. By then, with her hopes of going to space gone, Jerrie Cobb had moved on -- though not in the way anyone might have expected. In 1965, she bought a small twin-engine plane and began flying humanitarian missions deep into the Amazon, delivering food, medicine, and supplies to indigenous tribes across South America. She pioneered new air routes over the Andes and through the rainforest, navigating by maps she drew herself. In 1981, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1999, with John Glenn having just returned to space at age 77 to study the effects of aging, the National Organization for Women urged NASA to send Cobb on a similar mission. She was 67. She had passed the same tests as Glenn nearly four decades earlier. NASA declined. "I would give my life to fly in space," Cobb said. "It's hard for me to talk about it but I would. I would then, and I will now."

Jerrie Cobb died at the age of 88 on March 18, 2019. "My country, my culture, was not ready to allow a woman to fly in space," she once reflected. So she spent the next thirty years finding her own sky.

For two excellent books for young readers about the courageous women of Mercury 13, we highly recommend "To Fly Among the Stars" (https://www.amightygirl.com/to-fly-among-the-stars) and “Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream” (https://www.amightygirl.com/almost-astronauts), both for ages 10 and up

Jerrie Cobb is among the 50 amazing women of space featured in the illustrated biography, "Galaxy Girls," for ages 7 to 12 at https://www.amightygirl.com/galaxy-girls

For an inspiring book about the Mercury 13 program for adult readers, we recommend "The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight" at https://www.amightygirl.com/the-mercury-13

For a book about Jerrie Cobb for adult readers, we recommend "Promised the Moon: The Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race" at https://www.amightygirl.com/promised-the-moon

There is also an excellent book for adult readers about Jerrie Cobb and her fellow aviation pioneer Jacqueline Cochran: "Fighting For Space" at https://www.amightygirl.com/fighting-for-space

To inspire the space-loving Mighty Girls in your life, you can find more books about mighty women of space and space-themed toys in our blog post "Reach for the Stars!" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=16848