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May 17, 2013
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Helmet gets makeover for museum exhibit Story, photo by Lt. Jonathan Bacon NATTC PAO
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he Director of Strategic Planning Division for the Office of the Chief of Navy Reserve donated her flight helmet to the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) during a brief ceremony April 29. Capt. Tamara Ryley’s helmet will on display as part of the museum’s new “From Typewriters to Strike Force” exhibit, which honors the contributions that women have made to naval aviation. Prior to the ceremony, the helmet was repaired and decorated by PR1 Laura Tejedaramos, an instructor at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC). Tejedaramos decorated the helmet with Army sergeant chevrons, in remembrance of Ryley’s enlisted service in the Army as an electronic warfare signals intelligence analyst. The helmet also features a large red cross pattee bearing the words “West Coast Hercs” to recognize Ryley’s department head tour with Fleet Logistic Support Squadron 54 (VR-54) and as officer in charge of Fleet Logistic Support Squadron 55 (VR55). At the bottom of the helmet is emblazoned Ryley’s call sign “GINSU” and a
small Navy captain’s eagle represents her current rank. While standing in front of the museum exhibit, and before returning the refurbished helmet to Ryley, Tejedaramos said to the gathered crowd that she was honored to have been part of the project. “I’m happy that the helmet turned out well, and that my contribution will be on display here at the museum,” Tejedaramos said. Ryley thanked Tejedaramos for a job well done and went on to explain the meaning of each of the decorations on her helmet. Ryley also said that when she enlisted in the Army after high school, “I never thought I’d be a captain in the U.S. Navy.” Ryley presented the helmet to Hill Goodspeed, a historian with the museum. Goodspeed thanked Ryley and Tejedaramos, and reminded those in attendance that
Capt. Tamara Ryley (left) examines the work that PR1 Laura Tejedaramos (right) did to refurbished her flight helmet. Ryley visited Naval Air Station Pensacola April 29 to donate her helmet to the National Museum of Naval Aviation. The helmet will be featured in an exhibit honoring women in naval aviation.
every item on display at the museum has a person and a story that goes with it, and that Ryley’s story will now be included with those. NATTC’s Executive Officer, Cmdr. Vic Bindi, said that, Ryley’s story will be an inspiration for female pilots and NATTC students for years to come. Ryley and Tejedaramos both had the same advice for women who want to serve in the Navy: “Remember it is what you make of it, follow your dreams, and have fun.” In addition to the command’s previously mentioned, Ryley also has flown C-2 Greyhounds with Fleet Logistic Support Squadron
40 (VR-40) and was the commanding officer of Fleet Logistic Support Squadron 61 (VR-61). For more than 70 years, NATTC has been delivering training and increasing readiness within the Naval Aviation Enterprise. NATTC graduates approximately 15,000 Navy and Marine students annually. The majority of the student body is comprised of enlisted personnel attending “A” schools, where they are gaining the knowledge and skills required to perform in fleet as technicians at the apprentice level. Advanced schools provide higher level technical knowledge for senior petty officers
and specialty schools offer specific skills not particular to any one rating, such as airman apprentice training, maintenance, personal financial management and shipboard aircraft firefighting. NATTC also conducts technical training for officers in aviation fuels, carrier air traffic control center operations, aircraft launch and recovery equipment, shipboard aircraft fire fighting and amphibious air traffic control center operations. For more information about Naval Air Technical Training Center, visit the website at https://www.netc. navy.mil/centers/cnatt/nattc/ Default.aspx.