VIRGINIA BEACH, Va — Over the last 50 years, naval aviation has expanded its roles for women. Today 160,000 women are serving in the Department of the Navy's total force.
Lt. Antonio King is a Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) in the United States Navy. She believes that the military is a place where women can reach great heights.
"Women have a much shorter history in aviation but they're just as capable of doing this job and doing it well," said King.
30-year-old King has roughly 500 hours of flight time under her belt.
While she sits backseat in a fighter and attack aircraft, her role is just as important as the pilot.
"I will set up navigation, and handle all communications," explained King. "We have a variety of different weapons that we use and based on what mission we are doing I set up those weapons so the pilot can focus on getting the aircraft in the correct point of sky," said King.
King says her love of being in flight comes from her family tree. Both her dad and grandfather were military pilots.
"As a child, my dad brought me to airshows most of our family trips were spent at air and space museums so I became pretty obsessed," recalls King.
When it was time to join the workforce, King's first job was on the ground instead of in the air.
"I wasn't sure that I had what it took so I ended up going to school to study business,"
After a year of working with a bank, King realized that she needed a little more adventure.
"I needed to take a chance," said King.
Lt. King is encouraging young women to take a chance as well. She says it's never too late to reach new heights by joining the Navy.
"The Navy does everything possible to train you and give you all the tools to succeed. And, we don't feel like women vs men. We feel like we are all part of one team," said King.
