Shanti Sethi

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Shanti Sethi is an American naval officer and a trailblazer for women in the Navy. She is the only Indian‑American woman and the 15th woman to command a major US Navy combat ship. She led the guided‑missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG‑73) from December 15, 2010, to May 2012, and was the first female commander of an American naval ship to visit India.

Born in Reno, Nevada, Sethi graduated from Norwich University in 1993 with a degree in International Affairs and earned a Master’s in International Policy and Practice from George Washington University. She was promoted to captain in 2015 and has received numerous awards, including two Meritorious Service Medals and four Navy Commendation Medals, among others.

After commanding Decatur, she served as the Navy’s Senior Military Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy from 2021 to 2022. In February 2022 she became the Executive Secretary and Defense Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, serving until fall 2022. She is now the Director for Talent Management and Recruiting at the National Security Council.