Linda J. Bird

Rear Admiral Linda J. Bird, SC, USN, was the first woman in the United States Navy Supply Corps promoted to flag rank.

Early life
Rear Admiral Bird is a native of Auburn, Washington.

Navy career
Rear Admiral Bird received her Navy Commission through the Naval Officer Candidate School in June 1974. Her sea duty tours include Stores Officer and Stock Control Officer, USS Frank Cable (AS-40), and Supply Officer, USS Puget Sound (AD-38).

Her shore duty tours include assignments as Director of the Navy Supply Corps Museum; Food Service and Stock Control Officer, Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine; Material and Logistics Officer, U.S. Navy Public Works Center, Yokosuka, Japan; Aviation Consolidated Allowance List (AVCAL) and Consolidated Shipboard Allowance List (COSAL) Inventory and Financial Manager, Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Director, Systems Integrity Department, Naval Supply Center, Norfolk, Virginia; and Head, Supply Policy Branch in the Supply Programs and Policy Division (N41), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

In 1994, Rear Adm. Bird joined the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) as Director, Navy Defense Business Operations Fund Division, and then served as Director of Supply Corps Assignment/Placement Branch, Office of Supply Corps Personnel, Bureau of Naval Personnel. In March 1998, she returned to NAVSUP Headquarters as Deputy Commander for Financial Management/Comptroller. In 1999, Bird was promoted to Rear Admiral (lower half) as the first female flag officer in the Supply Corps and was assigned as the Vice Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command. Bird served as director, Supply, Ordnance and Logistics Operations Division, N41, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C., and was nominated for the rank of Rear Admiral (upper half) in July 2002.

Rear Admiral Bird became Commander of Defense Supply Center, Columbus in Columbus, Ohio, on July 18, 2003. As DSCC's Commander, Rear Adm. Bird oversaw an operating budget of $2.8 billion. She also directed the functions of 2,300 associates involved in purchasing materiel, monitoring inventory levels, maintaining technical data and assuring quality conformance of more than 1.6 million spare and repair parts used by over 24,000 military units and civilian federal agencies.

RADM Linda J. Bird retired November 1, 2005, after more than 31 years of service.

Awards and decorations
Her personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various campaign and unit awards.


 * US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal
 * Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit
 * Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal
 * Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Education
Rear Adm. Bird graduated from Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington in 1971, then transferred to Western Washington University where she earned a degree in Secondary Education in 1973. She earned a master's degree in inventory management in 1984 from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.