[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CAPTAIN TAMMIE JO SHULTS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, New Mexico High School senior Tammie 
Jo Shults dreamed of becoming a pilot. As a child, she had watched 
planes from nearby Holloman Air Force Base practice combat maneuvers in 
the sky above the ranch where she grew up. Her dream motivated her to 
attend a lecture on her high school's career day put on by a retired 
military pilot.
   The only obstacle to fulfilling her dream, however, was not her lack 
of ability but, rather, her gender. Upon entering the room, the retired 
colonel asked her if she was lost. When she replied that she was there 
because she was interested in flying, he informed her that there were 
no professional pilots.
   After college, this hurdle manifested itself again and again, as 
Shults found herself denied from joining the Air Force as a pilot, even 
though her brother was accepted. She finally broke into the Navy, but 
as a woman, she was not allowed to fly combat missions.
   Nevertheless, Shults's persistence paid off, becoming one of the 
first women to fly the F/A-18 Hornet, the Navy's premier strike 
aircraft at the time. She rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander 
before retiring. She helped prepare Naval aviators for Operation Desert 
Storm by flying training missions as an enemy aircraft.
   All of these accomplishments and her stellar career as a commercial 
pilot for Texas-based Southwest Airlines distinguish her as a one of 
Americas best, but her actions as pilot of Flight 1380 from New York to 
Dallas have made her a household name.
   Shortly after takeoff, the engine on the left side of Shults's 
aircraft exploded, and shrapnel broke through one of the plane's 
windows, causing the cabin to abruptly depressurize. Panic ensued on 
board, as one passenger was partially sucked out of the aircraft, but 
Shults remained cool and collected.
   She informed air traffic control of the plane's situation, and when 
asked about the engine, she matter-of-factly replied, ``No it's not on 
fire, but some of its missing. They said there's a hole, and uh, 
someone went out.'' Mr. Speaker, try saying that without trembling.
   Shults made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, and while one 
passenger sadly died from the injuries sustained in the accident, the 
other passengers and crew members exited the aircraft on the ground 
unharmed.
   Mr. Speaker, Shults and her crew saved 148 lives. Women like Shults 
are exemplary examples of Americas veterans, always answering the call 
to duty and service. If there's anyone that we want in the cockpit 
during a crisis, it's Tammie Jo Shults.
   And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________