thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
23 Thursday, March <strong>21</strong>, <strong>2013</strong><br />
The <strong>County</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
NAVY NEWS<br />
Wreath-Laying Honors First Female Naval Aviator<br />
By Harry Andrew D. Gordon<br />
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW),<br />
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Helicopter<br />
Mine Countermeasures Squadron<br />
Fifteen (HM-15) celebrated Women's History<br />
Month, March 3, with a wreath laying<br />
ceremony at the Naval Aviation Monument<br />
Park in Virginia Beach, Va.<br />
The event, sponsored by the HM-15<br />
Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Mess, commemorated<br />
the 40th anniversary of the first female<br />
naval aviators.<br />
"[Chief Petty Officers] are the ones who<br />
remember when we did things and why we<br />
did things," said Cmdr. Mark Leavitt, commanding<br />
officer of HM-15. "They are the<br />
ones that archive the history of this great<br />
Navy. This event in aviation is a part of our<br />
heritage that we need to hold on to and build<br />
on the importance of that date."<br />
Members of HM-15, also known as the<br />
Blackhawks, were in attendance during the<br />
ceremony. These members included division<br />
officers, chief petty officers, first class petty<br />
officers of the squadron, and civilian friends<br />
and family. All attendees celebrated the accomplishments<br />
of women in naval aviation.<br />
"This organization [Navy] has realized<br />
the benefit and value of diversity," said<br />
Leavitt. "Women in aviation make us a more<br />
diverse organization."<br />
During World War II, a group of women<br />
pilots were pioneers, heroes and role models.<br />
They were the Women Airforce Service Pilots,<br />
otherwise known as WASPs. They were<br />
the first women in history to be trained to<br />
fly American military aircraft in the United<br />
States. The women were trained to fly noncombat<br />
missions in order to free up male pilots<br />
to fly combat missions overseas.<br />
From 1942-1944, 1,079 women successfully<br />
completed training to ferry aircraft,<br />
test planes, instruct male pilots and<br />
tow targets for anti-artillery practice. These<br />
women covered a wide spectrum of social<br />
and economic backgrounds. They were<br />
nurses, teachers, secretaries, factory workers,<br />
waitresses, students, housewives, debutants,<br />
actresses, and there was even a chorus<br />
girl. But despite their different backgrounds,<br />
Lt. Barbara Allen Rainey was the first woman to<br />
graduate as a Naval Aviator.<br />
they were patriotic, strong in spirit and had a<br />
passion for flying.<br />
During the ceremony, the guest speaker,<br />
Navy Lt. Rachel M. Barton, aircraft commander<br />
and helicopter pilot assigned to HM-<br />
15, quoted Doris Tanner, an original WASP.<br />
"The myth of flying was 'a glamorous,<br />
long white scarf flying in the wind;<br />
the breeze in your face.' It was just that – a<br />
myth. The routine was back-breaking, hard,<br />
dirty work. It strained every ounce of endurance<br />
and courage we could muster. The dust<br />
and sand ground into our clothes, the sun<br />
burned our skin to leathery brown and our<br />
hair to dry straw. There were days when we<br />
wondered, why not quit and go home? Why<br />
didn't we? Not a question that is easy to answer!<br />
Love of flying, love of a never ending<br />
challenge, and the pride of having a vital part<br />
in the defense of our nation. The desire to<br />
release the men for combat and thus ending<br />
the war and bring a loved husband or brother<br />
home, taking part in defeating the monster<br />
Hitler and liberate Europe. None of us knew<br />
exactly why, but every one of us loved the<br />
excitement and were determined to make it<br />
through and win those silver wings."<br />
Photo of the Day<br />
The WASP program was<br />
deactivated Dec. 20, 1944, having<br />
flown about 60 million<br />
miles in operations. Thirty-eight<br />
WASPs were killed during the<br />
life of the program, including<br />
some in training.<br />
Thirty years later, the Navy<br />
became the first service to graduate<br />
a female pilot. Lt. Barbara<br />
Allen Rainey was the first woman<br />
to receive the wings of gold<br />
Feb. 22, 1974.<br />
Today, more than 54,000<br />
women are on active duty and<br />
more than 10,000 females serve<br />
in the Reserves. In 2012; 873<br />
women earned their wings of<br />
gold and women now comprise<br />
10 percent of the naval aviation<br />
community.<br />
The "Blackhawks" of HM-15 reached a<br />
milestone in female aviation, June 22, 2012.<br />
Barton was a part of the first all-female<br />
mine-countermeasure flight that took place<br />
in Bahrain. This event was significant, not<br />
only because the flight crew was all-female;<br />
but also because the maintenance crew was<br />
all-female, including the maintenance safefor-flight<br />
chief. This was the first time there<br />
were enough qualified females in the same<br />
location to comprise a "female-only" minecountermeasure<br />
flight.<br />
"Today, women serving in active duty<br />
Dawn Seymour, one of the original Women Airforce Service Pilots<br />
[WASP] during World War II.<br />
billets have become so accepted that most of<br />
us don't stop to think about it as we go about<br />
our daily lives," said Barton. "It has become<br />
something that is accepted as normal. But<br />
on days like today, it is nice to take a few<br />
moments to stop and think about those who<br />
have served before us - the opportunities we<br />
now have due to their legacy, and the role<br />
that we now play in paving the way for future<br />
generations. In order to truly appreciate<br />
the life we have today, it's important to know<br />
our past and how far we've come."<br />
For more news from Commander, Naval<br />
Air Force Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/<br />
local/comnavairlant/.<br />
HIDDEN<br />
EASTER EGG<br />
CONTEST<br />
MARCH 28TH<br />
EDITION<br />
Find the 10 eggs hidden within<br />
the paper and win!<br />
Tickets • Pizzas • Gift Cards<br />
Waters to the west of the Korean Peninsula (March 18, <strong>2013</strong>) U.S. and Republic of Korea Navy line officers<br />
plan together in the combat operations room of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS<br />
McCampbell (DDG 85) during exercise Foal Eagle <strong>2013</strong>. McCampbell is part of Destroyer Squadron 15,<br />
forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and is underway to conduct exercise Foal Eagle <strong>2013</strong> with allied<br />
nation Republic of Korea in support of regional security and stability of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S.<br />
Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes/Released)