Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar. US NAVY PHOTO
DALY CITY, California – A Filipina American is one of the high-ranking women in the US Navy, becoming commander of the Joint Region Marianas during a change of command ceremony at the Guam High School gymnasium aboard US Naval Hospital Guam last August 15.
Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar relieved Rear Adm. Tilghman Payne as commander, Joint Region Marianas. She will also serve as US Defense Representative in Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau, as well as commander of US Naval Forces in the Marianas, reported America’s Navy https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=82770 . Bolivar had served as commander of Navy Region Northwest.
“The morale and energy of this region are awesome and strong,” Bolivar said. “I know I have some big shoes to fill but you can rest assured that you will leave team Marianas in good hands.”
Bolivar was born in Honolulu and received a bachelor of science degree in oceanography at the United States Naval Academy. She also holds a master of science in management from Troy State University.
Bolivar reported to her first tour as the fleet and message center officer/CMS custodian of the US Naval Communications Station, San Miguel, Philippines. She then served on the Secretary of the Navy’s (James H. Webb, Jr.) staff as a writer/researcher for the Navy secretary’s White House Liaison Office.
In 1988, Bolivar became a special operations officer with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Diving and Salvage Community. She served in various leadership positions aboard USS Reclaimer, USS Grasp, USS Grapple, and USS Recovery.
She became the commanding officer of USS Salvor among her several leading assignments. Her other operational tours include: commanding officer of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit and officer in charge of Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) Program while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom’s Counter-I ED Task Force, Task Force Paladin. She was also inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.