La'Shanda Holmes
La'Shanda R. Holmes is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard[1] and the first African-American female helicopter pilot[2] for the Coast Guard.[3] She grew up in the foster care system and put herself through Spelman College.[4] She was an Aircraft Commander at Air Station Los Angeles, Air Station Atlantic City (where she was deployed multiple times to Washington D.C. (NCR) as a rotary wing air intercept pilot), and Air Station Miami. She has amassed over 2,000 flight hours conducting search and rescue, counter drug, law enforcement, and Presidential air-intercept missions.[2] She was appointed as a White House Fellow in 2015 by President Barack Obama.[5] In 2015–2016 she was the Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator General Charles F. Bolden.
Lieutenant Commander La'Shanda Renee Holmes | |
---|---|
Holmes in 2010 | |
Born | 1985 (age 35–36) Plainfield, New Jersey |
United States Coast Guard |
Holmes received her BA in psychology from Spelman College and is a Bonner Scholar.[6] She sits on the board of directors for Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum, Foster Club, and Girls Fly![2]
References
- "Meet The First Black Female U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot". News One. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- "Helicopter Pilot La'Shanda Holmes Flies High Above the Crowd". www.spelman.edu. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- Service, Rushawn Walters, Howard University News. "U.S. Coast Guard helicopter pilot La'Shanda Holmes defies odds, expectations to break barriers". St. Louis American. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- "La'Shanda Holmes". FosterClub. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- "Plainfield: Meet Hometown Hero La'Shanda Holmes". TAPinto. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- "Celebrating women of character, courage and commitment: Lt. La'Shanda Holmes « Coast Guard All Hands". allhands.coastguard.dodlive.mil. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
Further reading
- Holmes, La'Shanda. "It Feels Good To Be First". Go Coast Guard. Retrieved March 22, 2019.