thursday,march 21, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

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