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PACIFIC OCEAN - In 1973, eight women were selected to begin training as naval aviators triggering a landslide of events changing the landscape of naval aviation. One year later, six of those eight, called “The First Six”, earned their Wings of Gold. Since then, Naval Aviation has expanded its roles for women to lead and serve globally.
Today, women fly in every type, model and series of aircraft projecting power from the air and sea. They are involved in strike missions, anti-submarine warfare, cargo delivery, rescue missions and protecting our nuclear triad. They have commanded aircraft carriers, carrier air wings, squadrons and missions to space. This year, we reflect on our Naval Aviation history and pay tribute to all our women in Naval Aviation in the past 50 years.
“Being up in the air, when you’re flying, all other troubles in the world disappear. Being able to make it a career, where I love doing my job, it doesn’t really feel like work. It took a lot of work to get here, but the work put in is well worth it in the end,” said Lt. Alexis Wylie, a MH-60S pilot from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 6. “A job in the public service and not a nine-to-five desk job was my goal. From the beginning, I wanted to fly helicopters, and I have gotten to achieve exactly that.
“When I first showed interest in the military, people who I grew up with, like my coaches, asked if I knew what I was getting myself into, asking ‘are you sure you want this?’ and I am so glad that I made this decision,” Wylie added. “I’ve gotten to do a lot of fun things and have met some amazing people.”
From Lt. Donna Lyn Spruill, the first female naval aviator to qualify on an aircraft carrier in a fixed-wing aircraft, to Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, and the women who have come before and after them, our Nation and our Navy is stronger because of their service.
“I think it’s important to remember where we came from, being thankful to the women who came before us who built the path on which we walk now, and remembering where we started and how far we have come,” said Wylie. “Don’t let other people define you. Human beings are very capable. I think we limit ourselves on things we can do, but we are very strong and smart. Women tend to be extra hard on themselves, but just be confident in yourself, and you’ll crush it.”
Spruill made 10 landings and three catapult launches in a C-1A Trader aboard USS Independence (CV 62) in the Atlantic in 1979. Swegle completed her final training with the “Redhawks” of Training Squadron 21 on a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft on July 17, 2020, becoming the first black female tactical aircraft pilot.
“Any perceived pressure was because I want to exceed the bar and do as well as I can, because I didn’t have to be the first,” said Lt. j.g. Bailey Bliss, an E-2C Hawkeye naval flight officer attached to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 116. “It’s a lot of pressure to continue that trend and be that person to people who may come after me. Naval aviators tend to be ‘Type A’ personalities, and we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves, so I don’t think that’s a male-versus-female thing by any means. I think we just like to do the best we can.”
The path for woman naval aviators was not all clear skies and steady headwinds. They faced struggles and triumphs while earning their Wings of Gold, learning to fly sophisticated fighter jets and helicopters, mastering arrested landings, serving at sea and reaching the heights of command. They paved the way for Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, first woman to command an aircraft carrier, and Lt. Amanda Lee, the first Blue Angels F/18 Demo pilot.
“We are in a place now where it’s normalized and transparent,” said Wylie. “Gender doesn’t really matter as far as aviators go. I think the standard is the same across the board; the ones who are qualified aviators are qualified aviators.”
Although woman aviators may fly with their male counterparts as equals in the air, there are things female aviators deal with that others may not see or understand.
“I think women in aviation have struggles that a lot of men don’t know exist, like in staying competitive and trying to raise a family,” said Wylie. “With time in the cockpit being important, we don’t have the luxury of having kids on deployment and still being able to fly.”
Wylie went on to detail some of her negative experiences as a woman pilot.
“I had a friend pass away, and I found out via email in the ready room right before a brief,” said Wylie. “It was rough, and I had to ask myself, ‘am I OK?’ I started tearing up a little bit. I had someone pull me aside and tell me, ‘you can’t cry...it’s hard to gain respect amongst your peers and the aircrew guys you fly with, so you can’t show weakness.’”
For some women who serve, prejudicial treatment isn’t limited to fellow service members or even men.
“When I was in flight school, I was in a coffee shop studying with a group of students, and a woman walked up to us,” said Wylie. “She thanked all of the men for their service and told the girls present how it’s the men’s job to be serving.”
Though these struggles might still be present, the Navy has enacted trainings and resources to build the next generation of leaders.
“There’s an obvious emphasis on women in the Navy, and even going through flight school, there were a bunch of examples,” said Bliss. “They did empowerment seminars and symposiums on things that are inherent to women. We have networks, like the Women in Aviation network, and briefs during flight school about options we have that we might not know about. The ultimate goal of all that is to retain women, make new follow-on ranks and having women make command. I think that’s really awesome, where the Navy is putting energy into programs to support things that may be different for women than their male counterparts.”
As the Navy evolves, new programs and dialogues have been initiated to help women aviators succeed. It’s important to recognize the historic trailblazers who overcame obstacles to make this possible – women like Ensign Mary Crawford, the first female flight officer, Lt. Colleen Nevius, the first female pilot to graduate from the Navy’s test pilot school, and Cmdr. Rosemary Bryant Mariner, the first woman to command an aviation squadron. These women demonstrated that diversity is essential to building a strong Navy, and showed that they were an invaluable source of perspective and talent.
“Knowing we just hit the 50-year mark, it seems like it was so recent there were women that came before me who paved the way and faced adversity, and I don’t want to let them down,” said Bliss. “Don’t idly sit by. Take a seat at the table, make your opinions and voice heard, and you’re going to have to work hard, it’s not going to be given to you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. For a long time, I thought it was a sign of weakness, but it’s not. You can’t teach someone else something that you don’t know yourself.”
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2023 11:10 |
| Story ID: | 460664 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 240 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 50 Years of Women in Naval Aviation, by PO2 Samuel Osborn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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