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African-American History
In Search Of The Marine Corps' 1st African-American Female Pilot
by Lt. Col. Charles Boyd, USMC
For over two hundred and twenty years the Marine Corps has been
praised for the heroics and professionalism of its fighting men.
Its award-winning recruiting phrase "We're looking for a
few good men" fits the macho image mystique perfectly. Today,
however, as the Marine Corps moves to find talented and skilled
officers to lead the organization into the 21st century, that
phrase has expanded to "We're looking for a few good men
and women." Just as important as the inclusiveness indicated
by the change in the recruiting phrase is the Marine Corps' dedicated
effort to find a few good minority officer candidates, men and
women.
Rethink the Impossible
Recruiting officers, increasingly successful in finding minorities
and women in the past three years, have been unable to recruit
a woman to be the first African-American female Marine Corps pilot.
Why has finding the first African-American woman with the "right
stuff" eluded everyone? There are at least two probable causes:
First, only within the past three years have women been allowed
to become pilots in the Marine Corps. The information flow may
have been channeled in the wrong directions, or the information
may have been presented in a manner that ignited no interest.
Second, and more probable, is the newness of being military pilots
to African-American women. For Black women, this opportunity is
so unique that it may require a complete shift in society's perception
that women "ride in" rather than "fly" airplanes.
African-American women must move to the pilot's seat, a giant
step from the normal role of fixing, cleaning, or controlling
aircraft on the ground. The desire to be the first Black female
pilot calls for serious thought. It requires discussions with
family, close friends, faculty advisors, and mentors.
Golden opportunities (wings of gold as a naval aviator or pilot)
in the Marine Corps await those who want to fly a multi-million
dollar airplane or helicopter. Those who qualify receive $1.5
million of flight training fully paid for by the Marine Corps.
Captain Sara Deal qualified and became the first woman Marine
Corps pilot in 1996. Numerous other women have followed her. But
no African-American woman has joined them.
Spreading The Word
Marine Corps officers are spreading the word on campuses and at
civic events and church gatherings. Marines such as Brigadier
General Charles F. Bolden Jr., selected for promotion to Major
General, frequently visits college campuses. He recently spoke
to collegians and faculty from Tuskegee and Auburn Universities.
His presentation focused on his travels in outer space as an astronaut
for NASA and on his military achievements as the senior African-American
pilot in the Marine Corps. In it he offered collegians four thoughts
for success:
- always do your best in whatever you do;
- set goals and seek challenges;
- become a role model for those coming behind you; and
- always have God in your heart.
General Bolden thinks that everyone should consider serving their
country in one of the branches of the military: "I capitalized
on my opportunity to become a pilot and through hard work and
determination, I became an astronaut. The sky was not my limit--Outer
space was"!
Bolden's comments echo those of Patrice Clarke-Washington, the
first African-American woman to become a "Captain" for
a major commercial airline. Captain Clarke-Washington always found
that to get anything in life you have to work hard, persevere,
and trust in the Lord. This belief played a significant part in
her fulfilling her dreams. Her message to those who follow in
her footsteps is "Dream good dreams for yourself, work hard,
persevere, surround yourself with positive people, and know that
one day your dreams too will come true."
There will be no limit to the fulfillment of the dreams of the
first African-American woman pilot for the Marine Corps. Based
on character traits such as self-reliance, self-discipline, self-direction,
confidence, and determination to defy the odds, her horizons will
broaden. She will succeed where no others have dared to go. She
will yearn to learn while earning her place in history. Marine
Corps history--African-American history--American history!
Brigadier General Clifford L. Stanley, Director of Public Affairs
for the Marine Corps, travels across the nation announcing the
Marine Corps' determination to achieve, if not exceed, its diversity
goals. Faculty members, senior administrators, students, and graduates
are eagerly listening and acting. University leaders such as Aretha
Jones-Cook, Director for Multicultural Affairs, University of
North Florida, who has supported (and placed) more minorities
in leadership positions with the Marine Corps than any official
in recent Marine Corps officers, are spreading the word on college
campuses.
Already, Jones-Cook has been recognized by the Marine Corps at
its annual recruiting conference for her superb record of assisting
minority students to become Marine Corps officers. One of her
former minority students, Captain Calvin Worth, University of
Missouri-Columbia, has been heralded as one of the finest and
most professional officers in the Marine Corps today.
Collegians and supporters like Jones-Cook will help the Marine
Corps find the first African-American female pilot. That one hundred
and five minorities and women were commissioned as Marine Corps
officers in 1995 and one hundred twelve in 1996 reflects the talent
of minorities and their interest in the Marines. Of the one hundred
thirty minorities likely to become Marine Corps officers, one
may be a woman willing to enter pilot training.
Do You Have What It Takes?
The special woman who possesses the attitude of a winner, the
self-confidence of a dreamer, and the commitment of a pioneer
is a collegian among you. She will have the determination possessed
by Mae C. Jemison, the world's first African-American woman astronaut.
She must be prepared, well-prepared, for her role as a Marine
Corps officer and pilot, but also be mindful of the importance
of the significance of being a role model for the second, third,
fourth, and fifth African-American woman pilot. She must be ready
to assume her place in history, for the next generation, as an
African-American history maker!
She must have the strength, will power, maturity, and dedication
to see beyond the fame and fortune associated with being the first,
beyond the six-figure income as a commercial pilot following her
time in the Marine Corps. She see's "O" as "opportunity"
rather than as "obstacle." She must have the leadership
traits demonstrated by women officers such as Captains Etoy D.
Brown, Jacqueline R. Sutton and Sheryl A. Gatewood, officers who
daily display the competence, character, and professionalism expected
of leaders of the 21st century. She will be that African-American
woman focused on becoming the Marine Corps officer (and pilot)
that history books will praise for having the moral courage to
say I can, and I will, not for personal glory, but because her
time, and that of African-American women, has come.
The Search Continues'
As the search goes on, the Marine Corps will continue its sponsorships,
partnerships, and affiliations with organizations across the nation
in getting the word to all African Americans that "We're
still looking for a few good men and women," hoping to find
the collegian who wants to be the first African-American female
Marine Corps officer and pilot.
Lt. Col. CHARLES BOYD, USMC (Retired), formerly head of the
Marine Corps Recruiting Command's Officer Programs Branch in Washington,
DC.
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