The 51-year-old is in a select group of United States Navy officers: The commanders of the 11 aircraft carriers in the US fleet.
Capt. Bauernschmidt is the only woman in that group. In fact, she's the only woman ever to command a US aircraft carrier, the largest and among the most powerful warships afloat.
"(It's) easily one of the most incredible jobs in the world," she told CNN.
Most people would consider that an understatement.
Bauernschmidt commands the USS Abraham Lincoln, a 97,000-ton, 1,092-foot Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. With around 5,000 people aboard, it's the equivalent of a small city at sea.
It's also one of the centerpieces of US military might. More than 60 aircraft are aboard the Lincoln, including F-35C stealth fighters, the most advanced warplanes in naval aviation.