KINGSVILLE, Texas — The United States Navy’s first Black female tactical jet pilot, Lt. j. g. Madeline Swegle, will receive her Wings of Gold in a ceremony Friday, according to the military.
The lieutenant junior grade and her classmates finished the Tactical Air Strike Aviator course for Training Squadron 21 at Naval Air Station-Kingsville in early July.
According to the Chief of Naval Air Training, Swegle is the United States Navy's first Black female TACAIR pilot.
“MAKING HISTORY!” The Navy tweeted in response.
According to Stars and Stripes, Swegle is from Burke, Virginia, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2017.
Navy officials said she is assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron 21.
Swegle's milestone comes more than 45 years after Rosemary Mariner in 1974 became the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet, according to news outlets.
KIII and the Associated Press contributed to this report