A woman has taken command of the U.S.S. Constitution for the first time in its 224-year history.
Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell on Friday became the 77th commanding officer of the warship that earned the nickname Old Ironsides when British cannonballs bounced off its hull during the War of 1812.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said during the ceremony at Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard that Farrell is "the perfect leader to take command of this historic ship at this historic time."
Farrell says the ship's historical significance is not lost on her.
