Features CNAF Legacy Summit
By LT Andrew "Gonzo" Gregory, USN
LEGACY Presenters and Attendees on Day 1. Photo by LT Taylor Holland USN.
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n a cool and brisk November morning, Officers and Sailors from all across the Naval Aviation Enterprise gathered in Pensacola to attend the Chief of Naval Air Forces’ Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Culture and Youth Outreach (LEGACY) Summit, recognized in previous iterations as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) Summit. The year of 2023 witnessed multiple landmarks for historical changes in Naval Aviation and the U.S. military as a whole, including the 75th anniversary of racial desegregation in the armed forces, the 50th anniversary of women serving as Naval Aviators, and the 30th anniversary of women flying in a combat role. Day 1 Held at the Naval Aviation Museum on NAS Pensacola, the summit began with opening remarks from ADM Lisa Franchetti and VADM Sara Joyner who spoke to the audience via a live video call from the Pentagon. Both Admirals spoke to the fact that our Navy derives its power from its people. They implored us to seek excellence on a daily basis in support of each other and in support of our country as it undergoes the challenges of the future. ADM Franchetti summed it up into a memorable quote: “Warfighting. Warfighers. Winning. If you win every day, you’re always going to win.” It was fitting that during a celebration of firsts in Naval Aviation, just one day later ADM Franchetti would become the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and first woman in the Department of Defense to reside on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff after confirmation from the U.S. Senate. The first speaker to take the stage was Dr. Chaveso Cook, an active duty Lt. Col. in the Army and co-founder of Military Mentors, who spoke about how listening and learning is Rotor Review #163 Winter '24
essential to good mentorship, an apt beginning to a gathering meant to celebrate the differences and reinforce the bonds that tie Naval Aviation’s diverse population together. The attendees then had the good fortune of seeing multiple legends of Naval Aviation take the stage. First was RADM Larry Chambers, USN (Ret.) the first African American to serve as a CVN Commanding Officer and be promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Next was a trio of retired female pilots composed of: CAPT Joellen Oslund, USNR (Ret.), one of the “first six” female Naval Aviators and the first assigned to flying duty on a U.S. Navy vessel; CAPT Mary Louise Griffin, USN (Ret.), a member of the second class of female Naval Aviators and the second female to be assigned to fly in tactical jet aircraft and CAPT Kay Hire, USN (Ret.), the first woman to be assigned as part of a combat aircrew in the Department of Defense who later became an astronaut. These four legends regaled the attendees with sea stories both fun and challenging. They touched upon much of the discrimination and barriers they faced during their careers and how they repeatedly had to prove they belonged in a Navy almost entirely made up of people that did not look like them. Day 1 concluded with a brief from NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams and Astronaut Candidate Jessica Wittner, both of whom started their careers as Naval Aviators. They walked attendees through NASA’s ambitious plan to once again land astronauts on the moon, a mission that Wittner is currently training for and Suni is championing. This mission is vital to our longevity in space as it will serve as a stepping stone to eventually put the first humans on Mars. This opportunity to meet and greet with aviators-turned-astronauts reinforced to younger attendees that there is no limit to what can be accomplished during a career in Naval Aviation.
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