Subscribe
FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Maj. Chloe Flores, a UH60 Black Hawk pilot with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, was surrounded by aviation enthusiasts, with her father and grandfather both seasoned pilots. Yet, her path to becoming an Army aviator was anything but typical.
“Honestly, I always wanted to be a pilot for my entire life,” Flores explained. “I grew up around it. My grandfather and my father were private fixed-wing pilots.”
Her pivotal moment came while watching the movie “Top Gun,” which sparked her desire to become a pilot in the U.S. Navy. Little did she know that the Army had its own aviators.
“I saw the movie ‘Top Gun,’” Flores said, “and I thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to fly F-14s off aircraft carriers.’”
As she explored different colleges and service academies, Flores discovered that the Army also had a dedicated corps of pilots.
“I started looking at colleges and applied to the Naval Academy and West Point and eventually found out that the Army did have pilots.”
Flores became one step closer to pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot after being accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she excelled academically and continued to nurture her passion for rugby.
After graduating in 2011, she attended the Army Aviation Center of Excellence flight school at Fort Novosel, Alabama. Her training encompassed various phases, from basic Army officer training to survival, evasion, resistance, escape school and specialized helicopter training.
Throughout her journey, Flores aimed to become a Black Hawk pilot because she cherished the crew mentality and the opportunity to transport troops as part of a team of fellow Soldiers.
“I really liked the feeling of being a part of a team,” Flores explained. “I think that kind of stemmed from my past, growing up playing team sports and playing rugby in college.”
When asked about her support system, Flores emphasized the importance of her husband and family, who consistently encouraged her to pursue her Army goals while balancing a demanding career and family life. She acknowledged the challenges of being in a dual-military family with twin girls, but stressed the significance of setting boundaries and making time for family.
“I think the number one thing that has helped me is being efficient with my time, setting those hard boundaries,” Flores said. “Knowing when I need to surge and when it’s just a normal workday.”
Flores noted the positive changes she has witnessed throughout her career, highlighting the increasing number of female pilots and battalion commanders. She emphasized the importance of representation and the support she received from both male and female mentors.
“When I first got here to Fort (Cavazos), there were no other female pilots in my company. The first time I flew with another female pilot was my first Afghanistan deployment in 2012,” Flores explained. “Fast forward to now, being back in the same aviation brigade, and there are two female battalion commanders. My last deployment, I got to fly with another female pilot and then also two female crew chiefs in the back, which was really cool and never would have been possible when I first got to Fort (Cavazos) just because they weren’t out there.”
In a heartfelt reflection on her service in the Army, Flores encapsulates the essence of her mission and the significance of her daily actions, stating, “I just hope to have some small impact on someone or multiple people’s lives if I can. The Army is a big people business, so those small daily interactions mean a lot to people in the Army.”
| Date Taken: | 09.21.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2023 17:01 |
| Story ID: | 460908 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Female UH 60 pilot purses hopes, goals, by Eric Franklin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
