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JB Charleston hosts Women in Avaition career day

  • Published
  • By Michael Dukes
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. --  More than 100 eighth and ninth-grade girls from 18 Charleston-area schools visited March 24 to learn about jobs in aviation as part of the 8th annual Women in Aviation Career Day.

This year during the formal event opening, a special guest shared her story about challenges she faced through her journey to success as a military F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. Maj. Christina "Thumper" Hopper, from the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. "Thumper" was the first African-American female fighter pilot to fly combat missions in a major war - Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Women are making strides in all areas of our military, particularly aviation, and today we can serve in just about any capacity we choose," said Col. Carolina Evernham, the 315th Operations Group's first female commander. "This is because women like our speaker [Maj. Hopper] stepped forward and followed their dreams and have opened the doors for other women follow."

Evernham recognized participants of this year's WIA essay contest and presented a gift certificate and a WIA t-shirt. The young ladies were: Catherine Harris, R. B. Stall High School, Kavaisha Myers, Northwoods Middle School, I'ana Williams, James Island Middle School, Destiny Graham, Ft Dorchester High School, Breanna Deese, Cane Bay High School, Lacy Harper, Cane Bay High School, Caitlyn Bilodeau, Cane Bay High School, Jasmine LeBeau, Cane Bay High School, Taylor Michaelson, Cane Bay High School, and Stephanie Prezzy, Cane Bay High School.

The essay contest winners, who won WIA scholarships, were:
1st Place ($200) Lacy Harper
2nd Place ($125) Catherine Harris
3rd Place ($100) Breanna Deese

Next the girls were bussed out to the Viper hangar where they met military women in various career fields including, C-17 pilots, aircraft maintainers, loadmasters, aeromedical evacuation nurses and technicians, aerospace medicine professionals, combat camera, explosive ordinance disposal and security forces.

Staff Sgt. Angela Lowe and her military working dog Zoltan quickly captured everyone's attention when Lowe announced that she would demonstrate the effectiveness of a police K-9. A collective gasp filled the hangar as Zoltan flew into the air and latched on to the "uncooperative suspect."

After the dog demonstration, the girls visited career specialty tables were set up around the hangar. They tried on EOD protective suits, stuck dummy arms with needles drawing blood and chatted with military women experts about the different careers available.

Parked outside of the Viper hangar a C-17 Globemaster III towered over the girls as they walked up from behind and under the wings to meet women aircraft maintainers.
"I'm totally girl power -- all the time," said Senior Master Sgt. Michele Summers, 315th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "... the engines, and changing tires, refueling and all that grungy stuff that nobody thinks that girls do."

The wide eyed girls with smiles from ear to ear seemed in awe as they climbed the steps into the C-17. Once inside they were greeted by two women loadmasters who explained their job and various characteristics of the aircraft. Then, toward the back of the cargo bay and beyond a HUMVEE that was chained to the floor ready for transport, the girls met aeromedical flight nurses and technicians who told them how the jet could essentially be converted into a flying hospital to carry sick and wounded.

Back at the front of the large cargo bay the girls climbed the ladder up to the flight deck where they met pilots who showed them the crew bunk beds and the flight controls. Each of the girls jumped into one of the pilot seats to have a photo taken so they could share with their family and friends.

"This is awesome," said Gabriel D'Amico . "I actually really want to be in the Air Force. I actually took a picture and posted it on snap chat and said that this was my future."
"I love to see these girls get motivated and do things that they thought they would never be able to do," Summers said.

The Joint Base Charleston Women in Aviation program was designed to educate young women on the many possibilities available to them in the aviation in numerous aviation career fields.

According to a 2010 statistic from the Federal Aviation Administration, of the nearly 628,000 active pilots in the United States, less than seven percent are women, and women account for only 21.85 percent of the more than 686,000 non-pilot aviation jobs in the United States.