First Army Lt. Dina Elosiebo has become the first African-American female pilot for the D.C. National Guard. She earned her wings last month after completing the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
“This is an extraordinary, historical event for us,” said Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz, commanding general of the D.C. National Guard. “We’re extremely proud of Lt. Elosiebo. She’s a fine officer, and now, an Army aviator.”
Before joining the Guard, Elosiebo received her FAA commercial pilots license and was a certified flight instructor. The history-making pilot can thank the legendary Tuskegee Airmen for helping her make history.
She is the recipient of an Airmen scholarship and was trained by Tuskegee Airman Herbert Jones, who started the first black-owned airline in America. A standout even in training class, Elosiebo was the class leader during UH-60 qualification and again during Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape training
First Army Lt. Elosiebo now serves as a platoon leader at Davison Army Airfield in Virginia. Elosiebo joins another black woman, Vernice Armour, in aviation history. Just 13 years ago, Armour became the U.S. Marine Corps first African-American female naval aviator.
(Photo: U.S. Army National Guard)
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Little Known Black History Fact: Dina Elosiebo
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