Her grandfather was a Montford Point Marine, the first African Americans to integrate the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. She graduated in December 1996 and later became the first woman of color on the Nashville Police Departments motorcycle squad. [1] Vernice Armour. Armour was raised in Memphis, Tennessee where she was a member of the mathematics honor society, the National Honor Society and class vice-president in high school. My friends joke that I personify the old adage: "Once a Marine, Always a Marine." Acknowledge the obstacles and "make it happen." 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. Being a beat cop tests you. Before she joined the Marines, Opha Mae Johnson worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission. You've ALWAYS had permission and it's up to YOU to give it to yourself! 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). Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Upon leaving the military after the completion of two tours in Iraq, Vernice launched VAI Consulting and Training, LLC. You clearly understood what our objectives were and worked collaboratively with our media team to setup the event and get the most out of the material and delivery. As the first of over seven hundred women, McClarren became the poster girl for the opportunity, modeling the uniform, and even speaking on a podium with Eleanor Roosevelt to encourage other women to join. 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. Now why didnt I think of that! was her first thought! She helps individuals and organizations Get Gutsy and build a sustainable inner force and conviction, that results in accomplishing significant goals. 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). "I was like, 'Oh yeah, I wanna go to Mardi Gras!'" she laughs. Being a beat cop tests you. VERNICE "FLYGIRL" ARMOUR - HISTORICAL FLIGHT PATH. She is currently working on her next book, The Gutsy Move. [2][4], Armour graduated from MTSU in 1997. Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, and Clarence Jackson was a former Marine Corps sergeant that served three tours in Vietnam. In 2011, her book Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter was published. I view myself as a professional speaker and consultant. The name of Lucy Brewer will perhaps forever be shrouded in doubt. The dedication, the commitment, the loyalty, that bond that comes with being a Marine -- you don't find it anywhere else. Veterans Day was celebrated nationally with the Biden administration touting passage of one of the largest health care bills "I knew if I were still alive on March 5, 1968, I could get on the plane in Da Nang we used to call the 'Freedom Bird.' Receive notifications of new posts by email. She served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine. She is not dating anyone. Marine Corps Capt. Thanks to Grahams example many other black women were able to join as well, including Annie Grimes, third to join and the first black woman officer to spend a full twenty years in service. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military - Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, and Clarence Jackson was a former Marine Corps sergeant that served three tours in Vietnam. "[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. Join today and save on your next meal with AARP. in Physical Education: Emphasis in Exercise Science. She is a member of famous with the age 49 years old group. 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 . Up until 2012, female Marines were unable to serve in a combat role. She now resides in Atlanta, GA with her daughter Noahher gutsiest move yet. 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. A gutsy trailblazer, her resume is an impressive collection of firsts including Americas first Black female combat pilot. When she finally worked her way up to Warrant Officer it was by the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy himself and there were only ten other female Warrant Officers in the Marine Corps at that time. She now resides in Atlanta, GA with her daughter Noahher gutsiest move yet. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! And sure enough, this ambitious lady achieved it, becoming the first African-American woman to work on the Nashville Police Department's motorcycle squad. Armour graduated from MTSU in 1997. Shauna Upp Pellegrini & Upp A Tree Photography, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Mother-Daughter Duo Spotlight Black Women Who Made History With Powerful Photography Project. Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, "First Black female pilot honored in memory of Bessie Coleman", "Vernice Armour, 1st black female combat pilot, serves in Persian Gulf as family copes", "Black Female Pilot Breaks Racial, Gender Barriers", "Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter: Vernice Armour: Amazon.com: Books", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vernice_Armour&oldid=1088417067, African-American female military personnel, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War, Female United States Marine Corps personnel, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Zero to Breakthrough(TM) Expert, professional keynote speaker, law enforcement officer, This page was last edited on 17 May 2022, at 21:59. Though there are no records of anyone like her and no undisputable proof that Lucy Brewer really existed, she has still earned her place as a legend. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. Three brothers and being the only girltests you. [] Read More. For Vernice, her life's passion was to become a cop, a job she wanted since childhood. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. The Marine Corps points out the fact that physical examinations are very thorough and that the crew on the Constitution had little privacy at all. Speaking at conferences made me realize that people really wanted to hear about my Marine Corps experiences, and I loved sharing them. [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. Vernice was born in Chicago, IL in 1973, and moved to Memphis, TN after her parents divorced when she was three. I served two combat tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom -- eight months the first time and seven months the second -- and was recognized by the Defense Department for a second achievement: becoming the nation's first Black female combat pilot. Afterwards, she was assigned to the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Equal Opportunity Branch as program liaison officer. I urge them to do more than just promise to try. Earning her wings in July 2001, Armour was not only number one in her class of twelve, she was number one among the last two hundred graduates. She wanted to join the toughest outfit, so she called a Marine recruiter and told them she wanted to be a combat pilot, joining as an Officer Candidate in October 1998. [2], Armour's association with the SuperCobra attack helicopter earned her the nickname "Flygirl. In June of 1996, after a brief stint as a Nashville Sheriffs Department correctional officer, Vernice took a break from college to accept an invitation to the Nashville Police Academy. , money, salary, income, and assets. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military - Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, and Clarence Jackson was a former Marine Corps sergeant that served three tours in Vietnam. What clients are saying. She completed two combat tours in the Gulf. 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. Everything I do stems from my time in the Corps. Answering the Call is a monthly series of short articles by prominent men and women discussing the impact of their time in the military on their later lives. 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. Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour has been tested her whole life. 1 out of both her class of 12 and of the last 200 to graduate. During my. It was an exhilarating -- and rewarding -- experience. I called the Marine recruiter and told him I wanted to become a combat pilot. 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. Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois. In June of 1996, after a brief stint as a Nashville Sheriffs Department correctional officer, Vernice took a break from college to accept an invitation to the Nashville Police Academy. However, that has since been revised to allow women to choose any MOS (IE jobs) they would like, including Combat MOS like infantry. Soon though, she had had enough of civilian life, so she rejoined the Marines, this time working in New York, then South Carolina. 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. We all have obstacles in life, I tell them. There is no challenge too big for former Marine Corps Captain Vernice Armour. She became the Marine Corps' first African-American female pilot. Although both she and her commander knew the AARP salutes you for your service to our country with a special membership offer of up to 43% off. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 where he convoyed heavily around the Anbar province with a myriad of units. She later retired, married, and had a family, telling her stories to her nieces and nephews as they grew older. In 1998, Armour became the first African-American woman to serve a a police officer in Tempe, Arizona before becoming an Officer Candidate for the U.S. Marine Corps. Leaving the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2007, Armour began a career as a professional speaker and expert on creating breakthroughs in life. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military - Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve, and Clarence Jackson was a former Marine Corps sergeant that served three tours in Vietnam. 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. My company, VAI Consulting and Training, LLC, in Stafford, Virginia, has a list of clients that includes banks, defense contractors, nonprofit organizations and even the Department of Defense. When Vernice finally earned her wings in July 2001, the ambitious pilot ranked No. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on . She began to work in the Pentagon, holding various positions of importance until she retired in 1977 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3, after which she returned home to Puerto Rico. The message was right on., Our employees are overworked and underpaid. In my work with these clients, I pass along the values and techniques that I learned and honed in the Corps. In March 2003, she flew with HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq becoming America's first African-American female combat pilot. 1 out of both her class of 12 and of the last 200 to graduate. Bernice Aurthur is much better known today by her stage name of Bea Arthur, a name which is quite famous in acting circles and on Broadway stages. Armour earned her wings in July 2001 becoming the Marine Corps first black female pilot. She completed two combat tours in the Gulf. It helps make the point. Just as impressively, Salinas has a bachelors degree in history as well as a masters degree from the Naval War College. You were as amazing and high energy as I remembered . Staff Sergeant Barbara Olive Barnwell makes this list as the first female Marine to be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Her grandfather, too, was a Marine. My stepdad had been a Marine, with three tours in Vietnam; my father had retired from the Army Reserve as a major; and in World War II, my grandfather was a Montford Point Marine -- a segregated unit that contained the first Black men in the Corps. Though little is known about this last woman on our list today of famous women Marines, Ruth Wood has earned her place here as the first of the Women Marine Reservists to serve at the headquarters of the Marine Corps in Washington in 1943. You were as amazing and high energy as I remembered!, We were able to clearly preview your work and the potential it had in support of our meeting. She graduated from MTSU in December of 1997 with her B.S. Copyright 2022. Vernice was born in Chicago, IL in 1973, and moved to Memphis, TN after her parents divorced when she was three. [3], In 1996, she took time off from college to become a Nashville police officer (her childhood dream). She flew the AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and eventually served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With that said, there is actually more to her story than that. I'm sure that what I learned in the military will always stay with me. Through that work, she helps individuals and organizations make gutsy moves and create breakthrough results by applying her Zero to BreakthroughTM Success Model a mindset that helped to propel her career and kept her safe in air combat. VERNICE ARMOUR: My thoughts on those that came before is I'm standing on their shoulders. 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. Jump into read her life Facts, Wikipedia and biographies Details Vernice Armour Biography - Wiki She graduated in December 1996 and later became the first woman of color on the Nashville Police Departments motorcycle squad. Williams, Lance Cpl. List of aircraft of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Armour was commissioned second lieutenant in 1998, She was sent to flight school where she earned her wings in 2001. I had to wait until I became a decision maker in the organization and could impact the budget! [4], 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. 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. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military. Vernice Armour was born on 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is a United States Marine Corps pilot. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. She graduated from MTSU in December of 1997 with her B.S. her estimated net worth is $1 Million to $5 Million Approx. Back in those days most places would separate blacks from whites and this made some things complicated. In 1996, Armour fulfilled a childhood dream to become a police officer and became the first female African-American member of the motorcycle squad in Nashville, Tennessee. When you bring people together, you will have differences and similarities that result in tension . Foundation for Women Warriors is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity (tax ID# 20-5523954). Vernice Armour (born 1973) . Upon leaving the military after the completion of two tours in Iraq, Vernice launched VAI Consulting and Training, LLC. Vernice Armours income source is mostly from being a successful . 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 . Vernice flew above the deserts of Iraq in her missile-equipped attack helicopter, engaging the enemy and scouting the roads from her cockpit, making sure they were safe for her fellow Marines and soldiers on the ground. Private Lucille McClarren was the first woman to take advantage of this, transferring over from the Army to become the first enlisted female Marine that very day. Black, gay, and a child of divorce, Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour learned this early. In 1998, Armour became the first African American female to serve as a police officer in Tempe, Arizona before joining the U.S. Marines as an Officer Candidate in October 1998. She is currently single. ASVAB Scores For Air Force Jobs: All 130+ For 2022, How To Choose The Right Military Branch For You. While President Joe Biden travels abroad, first lady Jill Biden will host a Veterans Day breakfast at the White House. Armour has been awarded the Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. 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