Kathleen Mae Bruyere (née Donahue, previously Byerly; 5 February 1944 – 3 September 2020) was a captain in the United States Navy.

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.

Most women resigned on getting married, but she defied the convention of the time and remained on active duty.

[2] In May 1975, she held the rank of lieutenant commander, and was a Navy executive and aide to Rear Admiral Allen E. Hill.

She was the first female officer in the Navy to serve as the flag secretary to an admiral commanding an operational staff.

[8] In 1978, United States District Judge John Sirica ruled that the law was unconstitutional, clearing the way for women to serve.

It had been criticized for the manner in which it had handled allegations of rape and sexual harassment, and it was slated for closure.

[11] Time for Change: The Kathy Bruyere Story opened the film festival alongside another documentary of women in the military directed by Daniel Bernardi, a feature film centred on Army nurse Jennifer Moreno titled: Ultimate Sacrifices Cpt.