‘Fly Like a Girl’: Inspiring the next generation of female pilots
More than 75 middle school and high school students attended the first-ever Fly Like a Girl event to celebrate women in all military professions with an emphasis in aviation at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, July 12, 2024.
The Space Launch Delta 45 Organizational Culture Office, in collaboration with the 920th Rescue Wing and the 333rd Recruiting Squadron, hosted the event providing demonstrations, displays, including a HC-130J Combat King II, two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, and a KC-135 Stratotanker.
"This is more than an introduction to flying; rather it is a broader opportunity to inspire curiosity of all aviation-related career fields in the military ranging from pilot, combat systems officer, loadmaster, maintenance, and to the multiple support roles absolutely critical to completing the mission," said U.S. Air Force Major Amanda Suter, 39th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II pilot.
Currently, the military employs 1,700 female pilots, which makes up 8.1 percent of those positions, according to the USSF Workforce Analytics Dashboard.
“The goal of the event aims to ignite a passion for aviation in young students, encouraging them to explore careers as military pilots, or in other aviation roles, and in various military professions,” said Perla Brito, Space Launch Delta 45 Organizational Culture Office director.
Although the event was aviation focused, various units from the installation participated from other career fields to include a Quadruped Unmanned Ground Vehicle, commonly known as Ghost Robotic Dog, from the 45th Security Forces Squadron. Additional representatives from Space Launch Delta 45 Staff Agencies, 45th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, 45th Medical Group, 45th Force Support Squadron, and the Air Force Technical Applications Center were onsite to compliment different career fields.
While the students rotated in between stations on the flightline, their attention was drawn toward the departure of a HC-130J Combat King II, one of the many highlights of the event.
"My favorite part of this event was the opportunity to see everything up close and hear real stories from females who are part of the STEM field," said Madison, a rising 11th grade student who attended. "As a girl interested in a career in STEM, it is empowering to hear other female stories about how they got to where they are today.”
Many students took the opportunity to engage directly with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force recruiters to learn more about how to pursue their dreams after high school graduation.
“Serving in the military is an excellent way to obtain specialized training in a wide range of career fields. If you can dream it, the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force can help you achieve it,” said Capt. Allison Encarnacion, 333rd Recruiting Squadron, support flight commander. “Aim as high as you possibly can.”
To find a local U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force recruiter visit https://www.airforce.com or https://www.spaceforce.com.
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