March Air Reserve Base, Calif. -- San Diego, Calif. - - On 13 October, Team March personnel participated in “Girl in Aviation Day 2018” hosted by the Women in Aviation International, San Diego Chapter (WAI). The event occurs annually to provide young women with information regarding the numerous career opportunities surrounding the aviation industry. This year marks Team March’s first ever appearance at the event, where Reserve Citizen Airmen from various base squadrons show-cased their skills and impact within aviation operations in a military setting.
The air crew, composed of mainly female Reserve Citizen Airmen, included representation from squadrons within the 452nd Operations Group, the 452nd Medical Group, and the 452nd Maintenance Group at March Air Reserve Base. Team March was able to demonstrate their mission capabilities to the young women, along with the critical role their mission plays in an aviation community centered on the military. Examples of demonstrations included in-flight patient care and pre-flight operational checks conducted by aircraft maintenance personnel.
Team March flew into the San Diego International Airport, to attend the event from March Air Reserve Base, on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Many of the young women in attendance had not been exposed to the aviation industry within the military, and many had never been inside a military air craft.
The Aircraft Commander, Lt. Col. Amy Gangolea, 729th Airlift Squadron, explained to the young women that 7% of the national pilot community are women and that she was the only female pilot in her squadron when she began her aviation career. With a message centered on inspiration, Gangolea explained that a career in aviation is a reality and that her advice is “if you want it, put yourself there.”
“I still get question like ‘you fly that plane?’” said Gangolea. “This makes me sad that this is still a question today, but you all can change that,” Gangolea informed the young women.
1st Lt. Paris Krula, assigned to 752nd Air Maintenance Squadron, coordinated the event and is a native of the San Diego area. “As a reservist who calls San Diego home, I am proud to be involved in an event that shows young ladies that they do anything they set their minds to,” said Krula. “To me, our dreams are as big as the globe we fly across in the US Air Force.”