Vernice Armour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vernice Armour
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Armour in January 2006
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| Born | 1973 (age 51–52) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1993–2007 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | HMLA-169 |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards |  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 Sea Service Deployment Ribbon |
| Relations | Gaston C. Armour Jr. (Father, Army) Clarence Jackson (Step-father, Marine Corps) Authurine Jackson (mother) |
| Other work | Zero to Breakthrough(TM) Expert, professional keynote speaker, law enforcement officer |
Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour (born in 1973) is an amazing American hero. She was the first African-American woman to become a naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps. This means she was the first black female combat pilot in America! She flew a special attack helicopter called the AH-1W SuperCobra. She even flew it during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and completed two tours to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Early Life and Education
Vernice Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were Gaston Armour Jr. and Authurine Armour. After her parents divorced, her mother married Clarence Jackson. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military. Her father was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserve. Her stepfather was a former Marine Corps sergeant who served in Vietnam.
Her grandfather was also a special Marine. He was one of the first African Americans to join the Marine Corps between 1942 and 1949. These brave men were known as Montford Point Marines.
Vernice grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She went to Overton High School. While there, she was a very good student. She was part of the math honor society and the National Honor Society. She was also the vice-president of her class.
Becoming a Pilot
In 1993, Vernice was a student at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She joined the U.S. Army Reserve. Later, she joined the U.S. Army's ROTC program. This program helps college students train to become military officers.
In 1996, she took a break from college to follow a childhood dream. She became a Nashville police officer. She made history there too, becoming the first African-American woman on the motorcycle squad.
Vernice graduated from MTSU in 1997. In 1998, she became the first African American woman to serve as a police officer in Tempe, Arizona. Soon after, in October 1998, she joined the U.S. Marines as an Officer Candidate.
On December 12, 1998, she officially became a second lieutenant. She was then sent to flight school. She trained at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, and later at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. In July 2001, she earned her wings. This meant she was officially a pilot! She was the top student in her class and among the best of many graduates. She became the Marine Corps' first African-American female pilot.
After flight school, Vernice was sent to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. There, she trained to fly the AH-1W SuperCobra helicopter. While at Camp Pendleton, she was named the 2001 Camp Pendleton Female Athlete of the Year. She also won the Camp's "Strongest Warrior Competition" twice. She even played as a running back for a women's football team, the San Diego Sunfire.
In March 2003, she flew with a group called HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq. This made her America's first black female combat pilot. She completed two tours of duty in the Gulf, flying missions to support the troops. After her combat tours, she worked as a program officer for equal opportunity within the Marines.
Life After the Military
Vernice Armour left the U.S. Marine Corps in June 2007. She then started a new career as a professional speaker. She shares her experiences and teaches people how to achieve their goals.
In 2011, she wrote a book called Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter.
Awards and Recognition
Vernice Armour received many awards for her service and bravery. Some of these include:
- The Air Medal
- The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
- The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
- The Presidential Unit Citation
- The National Defense Service Medal
- The Iraq Campaign Medal
- The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
She also earned special badges for her skills:
See also
- List of United States Marines
- List of African-American firsts
