WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. –
With March being Women’s History month, I wanted to share some of the accomplishments and meritorious service of women in Connecticut Army National Guard aviation over the last few decades within our formations.
There are many women in aviation who've become trail blazers in the career field, but did you know the Connecticut was the first state to send a woman to flight school? Chief Warrant Officer Diane Dowd was the first female in the entire Army National Guard to graduate as an Army aviator in 1975 and went on to become a pioneer in aviation, even beyond her tenure in the National Guard.
Connecticut did not see another female aviator until 1996. During the late 90’s and most of the 2000’s Connecticut Army National Guard Aviation sent five females to flight school. The average female aviation population in the Connecticut Guard during this period was four. Around 2013-14 the flight boards were seeing more female applicants and today’s formations show how far we have come. Today, we currently have eight female aviators assigned and two more heading off to flight school in 2025. From our first female aviator CWO Dowd to now where we will have had 21 female aviators within our formations since 1974.
The Connecticut Guardian recently published an article on 1st Lt. Alyssa Aponte, who is another trail blazer as she is the first female aviator to attend flight school and was tracked right into our C-12 Fixed Wing Detachment as the Commander and is also an RL1 C-12 pilot.
Our female aviators that currently serve and are qualified as follows: (Pictured Left to Right):
- CW2 Alyssa DeMatteo HH60 Medevac pilot, C CO 3-126th AVN.
- CW2 Jamie Vaillancourt CH-47F pilot, B CO 2-104th AVN.
- CW3 Jackie Birge HH-60 Medevac pilot, C CO 3-126th AVN.
- 1LT Alyssa Aponte C-12 Fixed Wing pilot, DET 2 B CO 641st.
- CPT Cortney Combs UH-60 pilot, A CO 1109th TASMG.
- 1LT Gracyn Rothschild-Shea CH-47F pilot, B CO 2-104th AVN.
- CW2 Makenzie Murphy CH-47F pilot, B CO 2-104th AVN.
Not pictured:
- 2LT Cassidy Murphy currently in-flight school and returning to CT soon as a CH-47F pilot.
- WO1 Kaylee Rasmussen, 2025-26 class.
- WO1 Kaitlin Cavanaugh, 2025-26 class.
We are a professional organization and look forward to having the best qualified aviators and if you are interested in becoming an Aviator in the Connecticut Army National Guard and want to be part of this history, please contact Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kurt Suitor at kurt.r.suitor.mil@army.mil or Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ricky Wise at ricky.e.wise2.mil@army.mil.