She graduated from MTSU in December of 1997 with her B.S. 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. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military - Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserves, and Clarence Jackson was a former Marine Corps sergeant that served three tours in Vietnam. I had to wait until I became a decision maker in the organization and could impact the budget! Her grandfather was a Montford Point Marine, the first African Americans to integrate the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. She enlisted on February 8, 1952 at the age of twenty, completing her training in North Carolina. 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. She is currently working on her next book, The Gutsy Move. 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. Then in 1996, her last year of college, she took time off to become a Nashville police officer. It was an exhilarating -- and rewarding -- experience. Streeter became the first woman to become a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943, and was also the first director of the Marine Corps Womens Reserve. Vernice, who had little money for school and relied on student loans and grants, was all over it. Required fields are marked *. In March 2003, she flew with HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq becoming America's first African-American female combat pilot. 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. in Physical Education: Emphasis in Exercise Science. Everything I do stems from my time in the Corps. 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. By the age of four, she knew she wanted to be a police officer that rode a horse downtown. 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. Women Warriors Alene Duerk, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy. Combat tests you. I asked myself. 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. When she retired in 1945, she was a Lieutenant Colonel and the Womens Reserve had over 15,000 women enlisted and over 800 officers. Now retired from the Marines, Armour has not forgotten her training and started her own business and shares with others that Marine mentality.. 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. While President Joe Biden travels abroad, first lady Jill Biden will host a Veterans Day breakfast at the White House. 2023 VAI Consulting and Training, LLC |. [1], In 2011, her book Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter was published.[6]. She first joined the military as an Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadet at Middle Tennessee State University in 1993. So, how much is Vernice Armour worth at the age of 49 years old? 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. I'm standing on a strong legacy. How did it all start? When you bring people together, you will have differences and similarities that result in tension . Like with everything else, however, there had to be a first and that first was Annie E. Graham. After her military service, FlyGirlrevved up her careerin the private sector as an entrepreneur, consultant to business, and author ofZero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter. 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. The name of Lucy Brewer will perhaps forever be shrouded in doubt. www.VerniceArmour.com You HAVE permission to Engage! Vernice Armour was born on 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is a United States Marine Corps pilot. Making History While Serving. Sha'ahn (Aug 17, 2006). Three brothers and being the only girltests you. By the age of four, she knew she wanted to be a police officer that rode a horse downtown. 1 out of both her class of 12 and of the last 200 to graduate. 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. Three brothers and being the only girltests you. 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. Speaking at conferences made me realize that people really wanted to hear about my Marine Corps experiences, and I loved sharing them. 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. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military. First of all before she even joined the Marines she was the first African-American woman to be on the Nashville Police Motorcycle Squad, something which had apparently been a childhood dream of hers. In 1996, she took time off from college to become a Nashville police officer (her childhood dream). After flight school, Armour was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. Being a beat cop tests you. Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour is a former police officer and America's first African-American female combat pilot who completed two combat tours in the Gulf. Far back in our nations history only men were allowed to be Marines. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. 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. 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. 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. Related Article: Which Branch Of The Military Should I Join? She now resides in Atlanta, GA with her daughter Noahher gutsiest move yet. Soon though, she had had enough of civilian life, so she rejoined the Marines, this time working in New York, then South Carolina. In 2007, FlyGirl launched VAI Consulting & Training, LLC. 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. By the time I was 21, I had made it . Vernice FlyGirl Armours story has been featured in the media including on CNN, MSNBC, The View, FOX News, Oprah Winfrey and many more, along with being a running back for the San Diego Sunfire professional womens football team and two-time title holder of Camp Pendletons Strongest Warrior Competition. First of all before she even joined the Marines she was the first African-American woman to be on the Nashville Police Motorcycle Squad, something which had apparently been a childhood dream of hers. A few months later, I decided that I could always be a cop, but I wouldn't always have the chance to fly. 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. For Vernice, her life's passion was to become a cop, a job she wanted since childhood. In 1993, the future combat pilot enlisted in the Army Reserves and joined the Army ROTC program while at Middle Tennessee State University. Marine Corps Capt. [1], In March 2003, she flew with HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq becoming America's first African-American female combat pilot. I had no interest in the military. Soon that dream changed and she was entering the Marines with the goal of being a pilot. She says that while there were many hurdles in her journey to get there, having that umph made it . The message was right on., Our employees are overworked and underpaid. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 where he convoyed heavily around the Anbar province with a myriad of units. She was also a diversity liaison officer to the Pentagon for Headquarters Marine Corps. When Vernice finally earned her wings in July 2001, the ambitious pilot . She now resides in Atlanta, GA with her daughter Noahher gutsiest move yet. I called the Marine recruiter and told him I wanted to become a combat pilot. Vernice FlyGirl Armours story has been featured in the media including on CNN, MSNBC, The View, FOX News, Oprah Winfrey and many more, along with being a running back for the San Diego Sunfire professional womens football team and two-time title holder of Camp Pendletons Strongest Warrior Competition. Not sure ho, Meet Major General Marcia Anderson. And I wanted to join the toughest outfit. Following the Iraq deployment, Levi was assigned to various detachments who travelled and worked around Southeast Asia. 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. Employment numbers suggest that veterans have taken advantage of a robust economy fueled by the easing of the COVID-19 A group of state-level Department of Justice officials is encouraging veterans and service members to get their money back A young boy, nicknamed JJ, was missing for 24 hours after leaving his home in centralFloridawhile a parent slept until Last summer, Capt. "I was like, 'Oh yeah, I wanna go to Mardi Gras!'" she laughs. You can unsubscribe at any time. Back in the states at Marine Corps headquarters, I entered a new world as a diversity officer and a liaison to the Pentagon. There is no challenge too big for former Marine Corps Captain Vernice Armour. 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. Vernice was born in Chicago, IL in 1973, and moved to Memphis, TN after her parents divorced when she was three. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. 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. 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. ASVAB Scores For Air Force Jobs: All 130+ For 2022, How To Choose The Right Military Branch For You. And sure enough, this ambitious lady achieved it, becoming the first African-American woman to work on the Nashville Police Department's motorcycle squad. Her first job was as a typist at Marine headquarters in Washington D. C. and over the following two years she continued to work as a typist and also as a truck driver in both Virginia and North Carolina, a year into her enlistment marrying a fellow Marine by the name of Robert Aurthur. While the Army and the Navy both allowed blacks into its wartime Women Reserves during the war, the Marines were the last to allow this. 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. Up until 2012, female Marines were unable to serve in a combat role. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Levi served in the Marine Corps as a heavy equipment operator from 2007-2011. Vernice Armour has a long list of accomplishments that put her on this list today. 1 out of both her class of 12 and of the last 200 to graduate. 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. 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. 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. With the aviation seed in full bloom, Vernice was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on December 12, 1998 and on her way to flight school. By signing up for this guide, you agree to receive email communications from VerniceArmour.com. Foundation for Women Warriors is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity (tax ID# 20-5523954). Wings in July 2001, the Gutsy move are overworked and underpaid 2001, the ambitious pilot father her. Following the Iraq deployment, Levi was assigned to various detachments who travelled and worked around Southeast Asia training North. Born on 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, United States Marine Corps Captain vernice Armour was born in Chicago IL. Iraq deployment, Levi was assigned to various detachments who travelled and worked around Southeast Asia is currently working her. Ga with her B.S you bring people together, you agree to receive email communications from.! 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