The American military does not publish such statistics, but it’s a good bet that Gabrielle Cole ’13 is the first Princeton philosophy-majoring, Under 23 World Rowing Championships-winning, Black Hawk-flying Black woman in the U.S. Armed Forces. She earned her Army aviation wings in March 2022 after a grueling 15-month training camp that entailed psychological conditioning, survivalist skill-building, and an array of flying tests fit for a high-budget action film. Her fearlessness in the face of new challenges has elevated her career to new heights. “Flying helicopters wasn’t on my radar growing up,” says Cole, noting the number of women in aviation is small, but she hopes stories like hers will open new horizons.
Read PAW’s Tiger of the Week story about Gabrielle Cole ’13