Events at EAA AirVenture’s WomenVenture Center Showcase Career Opportunities

Career opportunities for women in military aviation will be a featured segment of WomenVenture’s slate of panel discussions, forums, and presentations at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. And who better to lead the military’s effort to promote women’s role in flight and attract recruits than the subject matter experts themselves!

Capt. Meredith Porter is the battalion training officer for the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, a UH-60 Black Hawk unit in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in Madison. She will be on a panel during the week to help share the stories of women in aviation, discuss her career, and showcase opportunities for women in the Army National Guard.

The theme for WomenVenture this year is vertical lift and rotorcraft missions, which is right up Capt. Porter’s alley. She said, “Helicopters are a very niche part of the world of aviation. So we hope to talk about helicopter missions and the general plan for Army helicopter modernization. The goal is to continue to demonstrate to the public that there are opportunities to serve, regardless of their background.” She added that she wants all people but especially young girls and women to know these opportunities exist so is very passionate about sharing her story.

Capt. Porter was unaware of aviation opportunities when she enlisted in the Guard while in college because she thought all aircraft were in the Air Force. She said, “I feel very lucky to be where I am. But we should work towards a future where high-achieving women don’t have to rely on luck to find their way into aviation.”

Some of the events scheduled by the Army National Guard at WomenVenture include:

• Six Female aviators of the Wisconsin Army National Guard will sit on a panel on Monday July 22, from 10-11 a.m. in the EAA WomenVenture Center.
• “Aim High: The Women of the Wisconsin Air National Guard”, presented July 22, from 1-2:15 p.m. in the WomenVenture Center.
• On July 24, from 9-0:15 a.m. a forum discussing pathways to becoming an Air National Guard Pilot will be held at the AeroEducate Center.
• Capt. Porter will sit on a WomenVenture panel July 24, at 6 p.m. at Theater in the Woods.
• “Beyond the Cockpit”, a forum about opportunities in aviation support will be held July 26, from 9-10:15 a.m. in the AeroEducate Center.

EAA is happy to have the support of the Wisconsin National Guard for EAA WomenVenture activities.

Margaret Brill, vice president of the EAA Aviation Foundation and coordinator of EAA WomenVenture programming said, “We welcome back the Wisconsin National Guard as part of this year’s EAA WomenVenture activities. The National Guard has long been part of the EAA fly-in, and AirVenture is an excellent venue to showcase the Guard’s opportunities and accomplishments to a wide audience.”

FMI:  www.eaa.org/airventure/