U.S. Navy’s First Black Female Tactical Jet Pilot Receives Her ‘Wings Of Gold’
KINGSVILLE, Texas (July 17, 2020) Lt. j.g. Madeline G. Swegle, the U.S. Navy's first Black female tactical jet aviator, stands in front of a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft on the Training Air Wing 2 flight line at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, July 17, 2020. Swegle completed her final training flight with the "Redhawks" of Training Squadron 21 and was soft winged July 7. Her official winging ceremony is scheduled July 31 after which she will continue to graduate training at her fleet replacement squadron. TW-2 is one of five air wings under the Chief of Naval Air Training and conducts intermediate and advanced jet training for the Navy, Marine Corps, and international military partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Michelle Tucker)
Congratulations are in order to Lieutenant Madeline G. Swegle, the U.S. Navy’s first black female tactical jet pilot to receive her ‘Wings of Gold”.
Swegle was named a naval aviator and awarded her gold naval aviator wings with 25 classmates during a small ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas, according to the Navy.
Sources stated that she graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2017 and completed initial flight screening at NAS Pensacola. She completed her aircraft carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast on May 20.
CNN Reports:
Swegle became the Navy’s first Black female strike pilot after completing tactical strike training at NAS Kingsville on July 7.
A strike pilot flies the Navy’s strike aircraft, including fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, or the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
“Lt. j.g. Swegle has proven to be a courageous trailblazer,” said Vice Adm. DeWolfe “Bullet” Miller III, the commander of Naval Air Forces. “She has joined a select group of people who earned Wings of Gold and answered the call to defend our nation from the air. The diversity of that group — with differences in background, skill, and thought — makes us a stronger fighting force.”
Now, this is definitely some Black Girl Magic! Congratulations Lieutenant Madeline G. Swegle. Continue to strive for greatness!
And now you’re officially in the KNOW!
