SAILING THROUGH CHALLENGES

I knew I wanted to be a military woman before I learned how to ride a bicycle. At the age of 12, I was already part of the Liceo Naval Militar “Dr. Dn. Francisco de Gurruchaga”, the only female Liceo Naval Militar that existed in the world. At 16, sailing on the ARA “Almirante Irizar” icebreaker, on a training trip, I was certain that this was my place in the world. 

Everything in my life led me to become a cadet at the Argentine Naval Military School, and in 2006 I graduated with the rank of Midshipman of the Argentine Navy with great expectations, dreams and goals that, at that time, seemed distant and unattainable; especially because I was part of the first graduating class with women in its ranks.  However, the opportunities to grow in our careers were the same as those of my classmates, which allowed me to reach the professional level that the Argentine Navy requires of its naval officers.

In my first year as an officer, I made my training trip in the frigate ARA “LIBERTAD” and at the end of that same year, I was part of the staff that carried out the Antarctic Campaign 2007/2008, operating there for four months carrying out the replacement of personnel in the Argentine Antarctic Bases. Throughout my career, I was part of the crew of Combat Units such as, the Destroyers type MEKO 360 ARA “ALMIRANTE BROWN” and ARA “SARANDI” - Unit in which I served throughout the search for the SUBMARINE A.R.A. “SAN JUAN”-, I sailed in all the Corvettes type MEKO 140, I was Chief of Communications and Navigation in the Logistic ARA “PATAGONIA”. I fulfilled functions as Instructor in the NAVY SUB OFFICERS SCHOOL as COMPANY CHIEF during the years 2010 and 2011; and in the year 2013 I was appointed to fulfill functions abroad as Military Naval Instructor of the First Mixed Promotion of the NAVAL SCHOOL of the PLURINATIONAL STATE of BOLIVIA. There, I was, in addition, 2nd year professor of Astronomical Navigation, 3rd year professor of Nautical Navigation and 4th year professor of Leadership and Leadership. At that time, I obtained several distinctions, among them: the CONDECORATION to the “NAVAL MERIT” in the rank of “KNIGHT OF THE ORDER”, granted by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Distinction “Commission of Government, Defense and Armed Forces of the Chamber of Deputies”, granted by the Commission of Government, Defense and Armed Forces of the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.

I also participated in international naval events, such as, Exercise UNITAS 49° in Rio de Janeiro in 2008, Exercise FRATERNO XXXV of 2017 with the Federative Republic of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro as part of the General Staff, Exercise UNITAS 59° as White Cell in Cartagena, Colombia in 2018. Also participating in the 200th Anniversary of the National Navy of Uruguay in MONTEVIDEO in 2017.