America’s first black woman pilot says don’t empower obstacles

America’s first black female combat pilot advised members of a local audience Wednesday to acknowledge obstacles in their paths but not to give power to those barriers.

“Yes, I am black. Yes, I am a woman,” Vernice Armour told about 100 students, faculty and staff members at Chattanooga State. “Sometimes when you are a little different from the community you are walking into (that) can present a few unique obstacles that maybe others haven’t encountered, but for me it is more important to acknowledge the obstacles and don’t give them power.”

She told her listeners that they have to stay focused on their goals. “You have to prepare for your passion.”

Ms. Armour, a former Marine Corps captain, was speaking at Chattanooga State Technical Community College as part of Women’s History Month.

Catherine Surgick, a Chattanooga State employee, said that Ms. Armour “offered a lot of challenges for the students and even for me.”

“I liked what she was telling the students about blooming where you are planted and to look at the bigger picture when obstacles come in the way,” she said. “She offered them something to look forward to in their lives, that they can make it.”

Ms. Armour said staying focused has been one of the main obstacles in her career.

“You can’t allow yourself to get sidetracked over and over again,” she said.

Ms. Armour, who joined the Army ROTC when she was studying at Middle Tennessee State University, said that experience inspired her to pursue a military career and prepared for her childhood dream to be a police officer.

“Ever since I was 4 years old I wanted to be a police officer riding on a horse around town,” she said. “Everything you do is about preparing for your passion.”

In 1993 she joined the Army Reserves and became a police officer in Nashville three years later.

Looking for greater challenges, she joined the Marine Corps, becoming its first black female pilot in 2001, and in 2003 she became the nation’s first black female combat pilot.

“Opportunities come available every day; we just have to open our eyes to see them and seize the opportunity,” she said.

As she was giving her presentation she changed from her flight suit to a business suit.

“Do you know why I changed from my flight suit?” she asked. “It’s all about transformation. You are always starting out on your journey, whether you go into the corporate world, military, anything that you do, at some point you are going to transition. Everything that was in that flight suit that I learned, everything I learned before and took to that flight suit, is now in this suit.

“All the leadership, teamwork, family, love, lessons, experiences, passion, purpose, positive steps ... all of that is still in here,” she said as she pointed to her business suit.

Pikeville, Tenn., resident Kimberly Presley drove almost an hour to meet Ms. Armour.

“I love that she is a woman and that she inspires other women to be anything (they want), even a combat pilot,” she said.

“One day I saw her poster at the school and knew it was just meant to be, because I want to join the Air Force and be a pilot, but it seemed so unattainable because I’m a woman and from a small town” said Ms. Presley, adding that Ms. Armour “proved that’s not true.”