LCDR Jill Kae Nelson, USNR Oral History

title:

LCDR Jill Kae Nelson, USNR Oral History

creator:

Nelson, Jill K. (1958 - )

subject:

Navy Reserve

description:

Jill Nelson was born in July of 1958 in Minot, North Dakota. She grew up with four sisters and one brother. Ever since she was a kid, she wanted to fly, so she went to the University of North Dakota’s aviation program as a college freshman. She wanted to go to the Air Force at first, but when she was at an air show at 22, she saw a Navy plane fly and immediately went to the Navy recruiter in 1984 instead. She taught flying all sorts of planes once she got out of college, which she loved and did in the Navy as well. She didn’t tell her parents when she first started flying because it was so expensive, but they were incredibly supportive of her when she told them she joined the Navy. There were 16 other women when Nelson arrived at AOCS, and by the time she finished training there were only three of them including herself. She had all of the aviation skills she needed for training, but she struggled more with aviation history and the more academic fields. Her previous experience as a flight instructor meant she was put—without her knowledge at first—on an accelerated training program after finishing basic. She largely taught flying T-2s, as well as A-4E and A-4F. Once she started training Navy men, she felt as though she had to make herself fit in with them rather than the other way around. When doing aviation work, she felt they could get along easily regardless of gender, but she was seen and treated differently when not working. Regardless of being held to higher standards in some ways, she loved everything about it and never felt too singled out for her gender. She stopped teaching aviation due to demands of parenting, and started working as an airline pilot. She was interviewed in 1991 when the Navy considered allowing women to fly in combat zones, and the flight training she was recorded doing helped convince Senators to repeal the rule blocking women’s participation. Her assignments include FleetT-39E Aircraft Commander 1988-1989, VF-43 Out-of-control flight instructor for fighter fleet support NAS Ocean 1990-1992, USS Forrestal 1992; and she has been awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy E Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Naval Reserve Medal 10-year, Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal, and Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon. No transcript of this interview is currently available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Grantham, Robin

date:

2014-02-07

type:

Moving Image

format:

CD

identifier:

1244; 2014.1244

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

587490

coverage:

1980s | 1984-91

rights:

Unrestricted