US Navy welcomes first black female Tactical Aircraft pilot - GulfToday

US Navy welcomes first black female Tactical Aircraft pilot

Black-Naval-Pilot-July12-main1-750

Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle completes the undergraduate Tactical Air (Strike) pilot training in Kingsville, Texas. AP

The US Navy has welcomed its first black female Tactical Aircraft pilot.

"MAKING HISTORY!” the US Navy tweeted on Thursday in response to a post that Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle had completed naval flight school and would later this month receive the flight officer insignia known as the "Wings of Gold."

Black-Naval-Pilot-July12-main2-750
Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. AP

The Naval Air Training Command tweeted that Swegle is the Navy's "first known Black female TACAIR pilot.”


READ MORE

Trump finally wears mask as US sets new virus case record

US sets record as new virus cases cross 69,000 in third consecutive day


According to Stars and Stripes, Swegle is from Burke, Virginia, and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2017.

Officials said she is assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron 21 in Kingsville, Texas.

Swegle's milestone comes more than 45 years after Rosemary Mariner in 1974 became the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet, according to news outlets.

Associated Press

Related articles