The same year a woman became chief of naval operations, the Navy marked 50 years of women serving as naval aviators.

Careers in naval aviation opened to women in 1973 with the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to serve in combat-related jobs. That year, women began flight training as naval aviators in Pensacola, Fla. Their Navy service led the way for generations of women to serve in all aspects of global missions, strategic planning, and leadership in the Navy.

The “first six” to earn their wings were Lt. Cmdr. Barbara Allen Rainey, Capt. Judith Neuffer Bruner, Capt. Jane Skiles O’Dea, Capt. Rosemary Bryant Mariner, Capt. Joellen Drag Oslund, and Capt. Ana Maria Scott Fuqua.