[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 80 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 212--COMMEMORATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN SERVING AS NAVAL 
                     AVIATORS IN THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Ms. 
Duckworth) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 212

       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
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) 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;
       (2) 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;
       (3) 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
       (4) 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.

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