Midshipmen Get Female Leader

A female midshipman has been chosen as student leader of the Naval Academy for the first time in the military college’s history, officials said.

Midshipman Juliane Gallina, of Pelham, N.Y., was chosen as brigade commander for the academy’s 4,300 midshipmen, the Navy announced Thursday.

Gallina will hold the rank of midshipman captain and will be responsible for the daily military activities and performance of the brigade.

She will participate in parades and ceremonies and also will be the key link in the chain of command between midshipmen and top academy officers, the academy reported.

The appointment was made by the academy superintendent after a lengthy process of nominations and review based on leadership and academic and athletic abilities, academy spokeswoman Carol Feldmann said.

“I feel like I’m one in a long line of brigade commanders chosen not because I did anything special, but because I was doing what I was supposed to do all along,” Gallina said.

The new student leader plans to attend Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga., this summer to earn her military jump wings.