It should come as no surprise to learn that women are underrepresented in the military. According to “Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc.,” as of September 30, 2008, women comprised about 14.2% of individuals serving active duty in the military; in the Marine Corps specifically, that number drops to 6.1%. This makes Jennifer Grieves’ story all-the-more impressive.Yesterday, for the first time ever, an all-woman crew flew the President of the United States in Marine One, the Presidential helicopter. This was done in a special tribute to Major Jennifer Grieves, as yesterday was her last day of duty. Grieves was the first female pilot of Marine One.
The all-woman crew flew President Obama from the White House to Andrews air force base, thus poetically wrapping-up Grieves’ year of serving as the pilot of Marine One. We have not seen the last of Grieves. She is now going to work toward becoming a lieutenant colonel, and she will undoubtedly continue to break down barriers for women in the military.
Stories like these help to inspire young women to break gender norms and achieve their dreams. Thank you, Major Grieves, for all that you have done for the future of women in the military.
Please send any questions or comments to campusteam@feminist.org
Photo Courtesy of www.flickr.com (http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarondenu/2961959077/)
1 comment:
This is really interesting! Thanks for posting it otherwise I probably would have never known
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