Military Series – Vernice Armour, First African American Female Combat Pilot
Black service members have played invaluable roles in the U.S. military since the American Revolutionary War and today, continue to serve honorably and bravely in all branches of the Armed Forces.
Vernice Armour First African American Female Combat Pilot
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour made history as the first Black woman aviator for the U.S. Marines, and also became the first Black woman combat pilot across the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, Armour is a motivational speaker and author and one of the faces of a new campaign aimed at recognizing the contributions of women.
Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago but was raised primarily in Memphis, Tenn. She hails from a military family as her father was one of the first Montford Point Marines and both her father and stepfather served as well. While enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University, Armour joined the school’s ROTC program and the U.S. Army Reserves.
In 1998, Armour became the first Black female to serve as a police officer in Tempe, Arizona, before joining the Marines as an officer candidate in October 1998.
Armour was sent to flight school at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, and later Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and earned her wings in July 2001. Armour was not only number one in her class of 12; she was number one among the last 200 graduates.
After flight school, Armour was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. 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 March 2003, she flew with HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq, becoming America’s first Black female combat pilot. She completed two combat tours in the Gulf. Afterward, she was assigned to the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Equal Opportunity Branch as a program liaison officer.
After the Marine Corps, Armour began a career as a professional speaker and expert on creating breakthroughs in life.
In 2011, her book, “Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter,” was published.
Vernice 'FlyGirl' Armour
