Vernice Armour (born 1973) is a former Captain in the United States Marine Corps who was the first female African-American naval aviator and combat pilot in the United States military. She flew the AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and eventually served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Biography

Vernice Armour was born 1973 in Chicago, Illinois to Gaston C. Armour Jr. and Authurine Armour. After her parents divorced, Clarence Jackson married Authurine. Both her father and her stepfather had served in the military - Gaston Armour was a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserves, and Clarence Jackson was a retired Marine Corps sergeant. Her grandfather, too, was a Marine.

Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Armour graduated from Overton High School, where she was a member of the mathematics honor society, the National Honor Society, and class vice-president.

In 1993, while a student at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Armour enlisted in the Army Reserves and later the Army ROTC.

In 1996, she took time off from college to become a Nashville police officer (her childhood dream). She became the first female African-American on the motorcycle squad.

After graduating MTSU in 1997, Armour served as a police officer in Tempe, Arizona before joining the U.S. Marines as an Officer Candidate in October 1998.

Commissioned a Second Lieutenant on December 12, 1998 Armour was sent to flight school at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas and later Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Earning her wings in July 2001, Armour was not only number one in her class of twelve, she was number one among the last two hundred graduates. She became the Marine Corps' first female African-American pilot.

After flight school, Armour was assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California for training in the AH-1W SuperCobra. While at Camp Pendleton, she was named 2001 Female Athlete of the Year, twice won the Camp's annual Strongest Warrior Competition, and was a running back for the San Diego Sunfire women's football team.

In March 2003, she flew with HMLA-169 during the invasion of Iraq becoming the Marine Corps' first African-American female combat pilot. She completed two combat tours in the Gulf. Afterwards, she was assigned to the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Equal Opportunity Branch as program liaison officer.

Leaving the Marine Corps in June 2007, Armour began a career as a motivational speaker.

Military awards and decorations

Ribbon	Unit Award
Air Medal with Bronze Star, 13 Strike Flight awards and Combat "V"
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Star
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

See also

• List of U.S. Marines
• List of African-American firsts

References

External links

• VerniceArmour.com official site