By the time she finished her career she was working as a Secretary in the Pentagon and was even working there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As a gay, Black woman she brought valuable personal experience to her work, driving diversity policy for a 200,000 personnel organization. "[5], Leaving the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2007, Armour began a career as a professional speaker and expert on creating breakthroughs in life. Leaving the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2007, Armour began a career as a professional speaker and expert on creating breakthroughs in life. In 2011, Ander, Meet Master Sgt. Vernice "Flygirl" Armour (born 1973) is a former United States Marine Corps officer who was the first African-American female naval aviator in the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps first female combat aviator. Former combat-helicopter pilot Vernice Armour rates eight helicopter scenes in movies and TV shows. In September 1949, four years after Japans formal surrender, she enlisted and was very shortly afterward followed by Ann E. Lamb and the two went to boot camp together on September 10, 1949. I called the Marine recruiter and told him I wanted to become a combat pilot. How did it all start? I'm sure that what I learned in the military will always stay with me. I had no interest in the military. During my. In March 2003, Armour became Americas first female African-American combat pilot during the invasion of Iraq. She was number in her own class of twelve and number one among the last two hundred graduates. She became the Marine Corps' first African-American female pilot. And I wanted to join the toughest outfit. Vernice FlyGirl Armours story has been featured in the media including on CNN, MSNBC, The View, FOX News, Oprah Winfrey and many more, along with being a running back for the San Diego Sunfire professional womens football team and two-time title holder of Camp Pendletons Strongest Warrior Competition. Sha'ahn (Aug 17, 2006). She became the first female African-American on the motorcycle squad. She served for three years without being detected and at the end of that time was honorably discharged, at which point she resumed her real name and attire, eventually settling down to married life. [2][3], After flight school, Armour was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. She completed two combat tours in the Gulf. I earned my wings in 2001 -- the first Black female aviator in the Corps. After flight school, Vernice was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, CA, piloting the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter. Her first duties may have only been as a clerk, managing the records of the over three hundred other women that followed, but she was soon promoted to Sergeant in September of that year, making her the first woman to reach that rank and the highest ranking woman in the Marine Corps during her time there. Her grandfather was a Montford Point Marine, the first African Americans to integrate the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. During an Army ROTC career day, the seed of becoming a pilot was planted when Vernice saw the image of a young Black female in an Army flight suit. Often, we returned to our base in Kuwait with bullet holes in our helicopters. 1 out of both her class of 12 and of the last 200 to graduate. [1], In 1993, while a student at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Armour enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and later entered into the U.S. Army's ROTC. She graduated from MTSU in December of 1997 with her B.S. According to our Database, She has no children. She got her commercial pilots license when she was forty-seven years old with the intention of joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS). Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! We understand the obstacles and unique challenges women veterans face and are here to assist you. Vernice FlyGirl Armour has been tested her whole life. Afterwards, she was assigned to the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Equal Opportunity Branch as program liaison officer. Then I took a step that changed my life. She flew the meanest helicopter in the U.S. military, the Super Cobra, which earned her the nickname 'Flygirl.' She . She is known for Fly Like a Girl (2019), Combat-Helicopter Pilot Rates 8 Helicopter Scenes in Movies and TV (2021) and Tavis Smiley (2004). We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . Vernice Armour (born 1973) . Vernice Armour (born 1973) is a former United States Marine Corps officer who was the first African-American female naval aviator in the Marine Corps and the first African American female combat pilot in the U.S. Armed Forces. There is no challenge too big for former Marine Corps Captain Vernice Armour. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military. FREE GUIDE TO MAKE BOLD MOVES & BIG DECISIONS, The Gutsy Move: 5 Tips to Navigate Challenges and Achieve Your Visions and Dreams, I saw you in person and couldnt wait to bring your high energy, high impact presentation in to my organization! She is the first . You can unsubscribe at any time. Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour I help Executive Women OWN their story and their obstacles and turn them into the OPPORTUNITIES the really are! After flight school, Vernice was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, CA, piloting the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter. It is perhaps more due to her fame as an actress than for any great deeds she did in the Marines that put her on this list, though as one of the first women to join the Marines she helped to pave the way for women after her. In 2011, her book Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter was published. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. dont give them power. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. She received her first pony as a gift on the Christmas day following her fourth birthday and her dream quickly started to have a foundation in reality. [2], Armour's association with the SuperCobra attack helicopter earned her the nickname "Flygirl. I urge them to do more than just promise to try. She helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and build a sustainable inner force and conviction, that results in accomplishing significant goals. The message was right on., Our employees are overworked and underpaid. While there she continued to excel, she was named 2001 Camp Pendleton Female Athlete of the Year, twice won the Camps annual Strongest Warrior Competition, and was a running back for the San Diego Sunfire womens football team. Before getting approval to shoot missiles as America's first Black female combat pilot, Vernice Armour, aka "FlyGirl," would wait to hear the words: "You have permission to engage, cleared hot." It's a message the former U.S. Marine Corps captain and author of "Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals That Matter" encouraged attendees at . Copyright 2022. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. She made the Naval Air Stations prestigious Commodores List, received the Academic Achievement Award, was the top graduate in her class, and went on to make history as the Marine Corps first African American female pilot. Back in those days most places would separate blacks from whites and this made some things complicated. During ROTC leadership training in New Orleans, I saw a Black woman pilot wearing an Army flight suit. She was rejected five times due to her age, and finally gave up trying to fly and joined the Marines instead. Executive Coach, Inspirational Leadership Keynote. While there she was Camp Pendletons Female Athlete of the Year and two-time titleholder in their Strongest Warrior Competition. On land, sea, and in the air, blacks have fought to protect our country. Marine Corps Capt. She became the first female African-American on the motorcycle squad. Her grandfather was a Montford Point Marine, the first African Americans to integrate the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. She served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine. Vernice Armour has a long list of accomplishments that put her on this list today. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? At the end of the war, Johnson was one of those removed from active service, but she continued to make her mark as a clerk in the War Department until she retired in 1943. We scour the universe for the best military travel and recreation discounts to celebrate veterans and Veterans Day. She first joined the military as an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadet at Middle Tennessee State University in 1993. racism, and I said people have tension all the time, whether you're married and you have an argument with your spouse or one of your friends, tension . After month of deliberating between becoming a police officer and pilot, she decided she could always become a cop but she would not always be able to become a pilot. I view myself as a professional speaker and consultant. Then in 1996, her last year of college, she took time off to become a Nashville police officer. She became the first female African-American on the motorcycle squad. Her father was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, her stepfather was a former Marine Corps sergeant. Fire Watch talks to veterans -- ones with unique, distinguished or important backgrounds -- and asks them what phrases like Copyright 2023 Proceedings. In 1991, she graduated from John Overton High School for Creative and Performing Arts where she was very active in the music program, class vice president, a member of Mu Alpha Theta (mathematics honor society), and The National Honor Society. 20-5523954. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Armour graduated from Overton High School, where she was a member of the mathematics honor society, the National Honor Society, and class vice-president. We flew close air-support and convoy escorts in AH-1W SuperCobras, spending the night at forward operating bases in hostile territory. Notice, I didn't put the emphasis on permission, but on HAVE. [2], In 1996, she took time off from college to become a Nashville police officer (her childhood dream). Vernice Armour is the first African-American female combat aviator in U.S. history. . From there she worked her way up step by step until, on August 2, 2006, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, finally being promoted to Major General on May 12, 2010. She decided to leaving the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2007 to begin a career as a professional speaker sharing her story and as an expert on creating breakthroughs in life. Receive notifications of new posts by email. If anyone deserves to be on our list of famous women Marines it is Angela Salinas, the first Hispanic woman to rise to the rank of General. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. [1][2], After flight school, Armour was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. Not sure ho, Meet Major General Marcia Anderson. She is currently single. While at Camp Pendleton, she was named 2001 Camp Pendleton Female Athlete of the Year, twice won the Camp's annual Strongest Warrior Competition, and was a running back for the San Diego Sunfire women's football team. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. When the Marine Corps Reserve allowed women to join, she was the very first one in line to enlist on August 13, 1918. FlyGirl has two honorary doctorates and has received numerous awards as a pioneering pilot, including honors for her commanding role in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This famous female Marine was on a little-known TV show called Golden Girls. [2] Afterwards, she was assigned to the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Equal Opportunity Branch as program liaison officer. Your email address will not be published. It was her childhood dream to become the first black woman on the motorcycle squad. Required fields are marked *. As a Black gay woman and single mom, FlyGirl brings vital experience to her role as a member of the Forbes School of Business & Technology Board of Advisors and COMCAST/NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Council. She was also a diversity liaison officer to the Pentagon for Headquarters Marine Corps. Deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Vernice was recognized by the Department of Defense as Americas first African American female combat pilot. Your email address will not be published. It helps make the point. After completing two tours in Iraq and leaving the military, Armour began a career as a professional speaker and book author. She helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and build a sustainable inner force and conviction, that results in accomplishing significant goals. , money, salary, income, and assets. Vernice Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois to Gaston Armour Jr. and Authurine Armour. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Tax ID: no. VERNICE "FLYGIRL" ARMOUR - HISTORICAL FLIGHT PATH. Vernice Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois to Gaston Armour Jr. and Authurine Armour. By the age of four, she knew she wanted to be a police officer that rode a horse downtown. 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