A “Change of Command” ceremony honored Captain Nori Ann Reed on Friday, April 18, as she retired after 30 years of naval service. She has been a professor of Naval Science and NROTC Commanding Officer at the University of New Mexico since 2003.
Though born in California, Reed calls Sanibel Island, Fla., home. Reed obtained a degree in Zoology and after graduating at age 20 she decided to serve in the military, as many others in her family had done.
“I’m in the family business,” Reed joked, when referring to her family’s history of military service.
She was commissioned an ensign at Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., in May of 1978, where she was sworn in by her father, a retired Marine Corps Colonel.
During her time at the Officer Candidate School, Reed was accepted into the “Women at Sea Program,” which began the integration of women on to Navy ships. Reed credits this program with allowing her to witness and experience the changing face of the Navy, which now allows women to participate in 90 percent of all military jobs.
“It is amazing how far we have come,” she said. “Women in the Navy today couldn’t imagine a time when it was unheard of for them to be there.”
In the Navy, Reed held a variety of positions including commander of three ships – USS DETROIT, USS KISKA and USS WILLAMETTE – operations officer on the USS YELLOWSTONE, and damage control assistant on the USS FULTON.
Additionally, Reed served as commander of logistics for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and as commander of Task Force FIVE THREE in Bahrain, a small country island to the east of Saudi Arabia. She also served on the staffs of commander for Naval Surface Forces Pacific, Combat Logistics Group TWO and of commander in chief of the Naval European Forces. Her joint assignment was on The Joint Staff as NATO Logistics Officer in the Logistics Directorate. In 1999, she received her master’s degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University.
As a result of her 30-year naval career, Reed has been able to travel and live in a variety of places across the United States and around the world.
“Living in these countries has allowed me to see how great the United States is,” she said. “It is not perfect, but it is great.”