Kathleen M. Bruyere | |
|---|---|
 Bruyere as a commander (1983) | |
| Birth name | Kathleen Mae Donahue |
| Other name(s) | Kathleen Mae Byerly |
| Born | 5 February 1944 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | 3 September 2020 (aged 76) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Place of burial | Miramar National Cemetery, San Diego, California |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1966–1994 |
| Rank |  Captain |
Kathleen Mae Bruyere (née Donahue, previously Byerly; 5 February 1944 – 3 September 2020) was a captain in the United States Navy. She was one of the twelve women named by Time magazine as Time Person of the Year in 1975, representing American women (at the height of the feminist movement). In May 1975, she became the first female officer in the Navy to serve as the flag secretary to an admiral commanding an operational staff. In 1977, Byerly was one of six officers who sued the United States Secretary of the Navy and the United States Secretary of Defense over their being restricted from serving on combat aircraft and ships. This led to the 1948 Women's Armed Services Integration Act being struck down as unconstitutional.