(NewsNation) — The next generation of female pilots may have been among the more than 75 students who attended a U.S. Space Force event celebrating women in aviation.
The military branch’s first-ever “Fly Like a Girl” event hosted middle school and high school students at the Patrick Space Force Based in Florida on July 12. Throughout the day, young people watched demonstrations of Space Force helicopters, combat planes and refueling tankers, according to a news release.
“This is more than an introduction to flying; rather, it is a broader opportunity to inspire curiosity of all aviation-related career fields in the military ranging from pilot, combat systems officer, loadmaster, maintenanc, and to the multiple support roles absolutely critical to completing the mission,” said U.S. Air Force Major Amanda Suter.
The departure of an HC-130J Combat King II — which can be used in humanitarian operations, disaster response and evacuations — was an overall crowd-pleaser, according to the release.
“My favorite part of this event was the opportunity to see everything up close and hear real stories from females who are part of the STEM field,” said Madison, an 11th grade student attendee. “As a girl interested in a career in STEM, it is empowering to hear other female stories about how they got to where they are today.”
Students also learned about the Ghost Robotic dog ground drone and various career fields including engineering, technical work and logistics.
The U.S. military employs 1,700 female pilots, who make up 8.1% of pilot roles, according to the USSF Workforce Analytics Dashboard.