History was made yesterday in the US Coast Guard at Tuskegee! LT Ronaqua Russell received one of military aviation’s top award, the Air Medal. This prestigious award is rarely earned by fixed wing aviators in the Coast Guard and LT Russell has inked her way into the archives!

In all of Coast Guard history, there have only been 5 black female aviators. All five, the Fab 5, flew into Moton Field, AL (Tuskegee) to celebrate this historic, monumental occasion!” – via Coast Guard Flight Mechanics

1. LCDR Jeanine Menze (C-130)
2. LCDR LaShanda Renee Holmes (H-65)
3. LT C Angel Hughes (C-144)
4. LT Chanel Lee (H-60)
5. LT Ronaqua Russell (C-144)

Congratulations to Lieutenant Russell for receiving this historic honor for her work flying the HC-144 Ocean Sentry during Hurricane Harvey!

For children’s books about more African-American women making history, visit our blog post “60 Books about Extraordinary Black Mighty Girls and Women” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14276

To introduce kids to trailblazing female pilots throughout history, check out our blog post, “20 Books About Boundary-Breaking Female Pilots,” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=20960

And, for more Mighty Girl stories that show girls and women as leaders in many capacities, visit our “Initiative & Leadership” book section at here.