First African American Female Navy Tactical Pilot

“MAKING HISTORY!”

Lt j.g. Madeline Swegle is the first African-American woman to become a tactical aircraft pilot in the 100+ years of the U.S. Navy.

Backstory

• Lt j.g. Madeline Swegle graduated from the Naval Academy in 2017.
• She completed tactical aircraft (“TACAIR”) training last week and will earn her “Wings of Gold” next month, recognizing her as a qualified Naval aviator.
• Next, she’ll be assigned a “platform” – a tactical aircraft – to continue her training.

The platforms include F-18E/F “Super Hornet” (fighter attack aircraft), E-18G “Growler” (an electronic attack aircraft), or F35 “Lightning” (a fighter aircraft). This means after successfully completing additional training, Swegle *could* indeed become a U.S. Navy fighter pilot.