III
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 212
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 11, 2023
Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Commemorating 50 years of women serving as naval aviators in the United States.
Whereas, while women had officially served in various capacities in the Navy since 1908, prior to 1973, women had been prevented from serving as naval aviators;
Whereas, in October 1972, the Navy announced a program to open flight training to women;
Whereas, on January 10, 1973, Secretary of the Navy John Warner presented flight training orders to Judith Neuffer, the first woman to be selected for flight training in the Navy;
Whereas 7 additional women were selected for training as naval aviators, and the group consisted of 4 women who already served as Navy officers and 4 civilians;
Whereas, on March 2, 1973, the first 4 women already serving as Navy officers began flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida;
Whereas the 4 civilian women selected for flight training were commissioned in May 1973, and reported to training at Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 4, 1973;
Whereas, on February 22, 1974, Barbara Allen became the first female naval aviator to earn her Wings of Gold;
Whereas, out of the 8 women to be selected for flight training, 6 women, nicknamed the First Six
(referred to in this preamble as the First Six
), would go on to earn their Wings of Gold;
Whereas the First Six comprised Judith Neuffer, Barbara Allen, Rosemary Conatser, Jane Skiles, Joellen Drag, and Ann Marie Scott;
Whereas Naval Air Station Pensacola is the Cradle of Naval Aviation
and serves as the training ground for every naval aviator;
Whereas Naval Air Station Pensacola has played a valuable role in the historic milestone of women training to be naval aviators; and
Whereas the First Six became the first women to hold various naval aviation positions in the Navy: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
honors the invaluable contributions that the first 6 women to earn their Wings of Gold (referred to in this resolution as the First Six
) made to naval aviation in the United States;
applauds the steadfast leadership and courage of the First Six that opened doors for women to serve in every level of naval aviation in the United States today;
recognizes 50 years of women serving as naval aviators in the United States and the roles that Naval Air Station Pensacola and the Pensacola, Florida community have played in this milestone and in naval aviation history in the United States; and
respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Captain Terrence M. Shashaty.