Swegle became the Navy’s first Black female strike pilot after completing tactical strike training at NAS Kingsville on July 7. I hope it’s encouraging to other people.” “It would’ve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role I never intended to be the first. “I’m excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet,” Swegle said. Swegle was named a naval aviator and awarded her gold naval aviator wings with 25 classmates during a small ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas, according to the Navy. Madeline Swegle, received her “wings of gold” on Friday, marking a historic milestone for naval aviation. Subscribe to and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox.The US Navy’s first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, Lt.
#FIRST BLACK FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT HOW TO#
Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at Follow her on Twitter at Naval Aviators Say They Were Kicked Out of Training Due to Racial Biasīe sure to get the latest news about the military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. A female Army National Guard soldier graduated from the grueling Special Forces Qualification Course (Q Course) Thursday, making her the first woman to join the Green Berets.Įditor's note: This story has been updated to correct Martha McSally's rank at retirement. There was another history-making military achievement this week. Kimbrell, now a lieutenant colonel, flew combat missions in Operation Northern Watch over northern Iraq in 2001. In 1999, Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell became the first female African American fighter pilot for the Air Force, flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon. An A-10 Warthog pilot, McSally retired as a colonel in 2010. Shortly thereafter, Martha McSally, now a Republican senator from Arizona, became the Air Force's first female pilot to fly in combat in 1995. For example, the Pentagon did not lift a decades-long policy that prohibited women from flying in combat until 1993. Robinson retired in 2008.ĭespite early strides, women have still faced barriers. She was the first Black woman certified for C-1A carrier onboard delivery carrier landings the following year, the group said. Meanwhile, Brenda Robinson became the first African American female graduate from the Navy's Aviation Officer Candidate School, earning her wings in 1980, according to the nonprofit organization Women in Aviation.
She was certified to fly the A-4C and the A-7E Corsair II, and became the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet the following year, the service said. The late Rosemary Mariner became one of the first eight women in the Navy selected to fly military aircraft in 1973. As of 2018, the Navy had 765 female pilots, less than 7% of all pilots across the ranks, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Women also make up a small percentage of aviators in the service. According to Navy data provided that year, just 1.9% of all pilots assigned to the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18 Growler, E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound were Black.
Her achievement comes as pilots have said the Navy's aviation community needs more diversity in its ranks.Ī 2018 investigation by revealed that Black pilots are rare in the service, particularly in fighter units. Photos of Swegle celebrating next to a T-45 trainer at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, surfaced earlier this week from Twitter user "Just my best friend making history," she wrote.Īccording to the Navy, Swegle, of Burke, Virginia, is assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron (VT) 21 at the Texas base. "Swegle is the first known Black female TACAIR pilot and will receive her Wings of Gold later this month.
0 kommentar(er)
