Nora Wingfield Tyson (born 1957) is a retired United States Navy vice admiral. In 2015, she was installed as commander of the Third Fleet, making her the first woman to lead a United States Navy ship fleet. She retired from service in 2017. Tyson previously served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group Two, from July 29, 2010 to January 12, 2012; she was the first female commander of a United States Navy Carrier Strike Group. She then served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff beginning in February 2012. In July 2013 she was promoted to vice admiral and named as Deputy Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command. Education A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Nora Wingfield Tyson attended St. Mary's Episcopal School, graduating in 1975. Tyson graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1979, majoring in English. Later that year, she attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned into the United States Navy in December 1979. In 1995, Tyson earned her Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Affairs from the Naval War College. Naval career After a tour in Washington D.C., Tyson became a Naval Flight Officer in 1983. She then served three tours in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Four (VQ-4) in both Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Tinker Air Force Base, one of which as a commanding officer. Ashore, she served as airborne communications officer course instructor and officer-in-charge at Naval Air Maintenance Training Detachment 1079, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Other shore duty assignments included serving as a political-military planner and assistant in the Asia-Pacific Division of the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of Staff for the Commander of Naval Forces Europe, and an executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. Sea duty for Tyson included serving as a navigator aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the operations officer on the training aircraft carrier . Later, Captain Tyson commanded the amphibious assault ship during a time when the ship provided support for Hurricane Katrina relief, as well as undertaking two deployments to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In September 2007, Tyson was promoted to rear admiral (lower half) and took command of Task Force 73 in Singapore. On July 29, 2010, Tyson assumed command of Carrier Strike Group Two, with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as its flagship, becoming the first woman to command a