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The Women of Squadron 35
VAN NUYS, Calif. - March is women's history month and CAP has an 80-year legacy of supporting women in aviation with its commitment to equal-rights and inclusivity. As early as 1945, twenty percent of CAPs membership were women. Today the number of women senior members and cadets has continued to increase.
In writing this piece I first reached out to our Squadron Historian Lieutenant Colonel James Hayden. He pointed me to this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along."
For me this means to triumph in the face of adversity, having the strength to take yourself out of your comfort zone. To be a part of something bigger than ourselves is a way to find strength to exceed our potential. By celebrating the women in our past and present, we ensure a future that is enriched by diversity of thought and experience. I write this piece to Celebrate the Women of Squadron 35. As a new member to CAP, these are the women who have inspired, encouraged, and mentored me on my CAP journey.
Lieutenant Colonel Margot Leveque is a force to be reckoned with. She is the Squadron 35 logistics officer and joined CAP in 1986, after attending the National Congress on Aviation and Space Education. As a kindergarten teacher she started a Young Astronauts Club at her school and applied for the Teacher in Space program. “I joined squadron 35 after reading in the national news about the search and rescue activities involved in fully being a member. I have held just about all of the squadron duties and have also held positions at group and wing. I also was Wing Administrator with Terrie Singleton where I got to know even more members throughout California Wing. It is so important that the women of CAP be recognized for their contributions. We are such an exemplary group,” said Lt. Col Leveque.
First Lieutenant Amanda Rohlke joined Squadron 35 in 2017 as a way to give back to the community after earning her pilot’s certificate in 2015. Lt. Rohlke serves as the Squadron 35 Finance Officer and California Wing’s Assistant Director of Finance as well as holding qualifications in many aircrew and base staff positions. Lt. Rohlke is a film and television producer and founding member of the Los Angeles Council for the National Women’s History Museum. I am a true believer in “you have to see it to be it” and this March I celebrate all those that came before from Bessie Coleman to the WASPs,” said Lt. Rohlke.
First Lieutenant Laura Astor joined the Civil Air Patrol in 2018 to follow her passion of working in Search and Rescue and humanitarian missions. Lt. Astor serves as Squadron 35’s Emergency Services Officer and has held numerous aircrew positions including Mission Observer, Mission Scanner, and Mission Photographer. She is one of our squadrons most active members in Search and Rescue. In her day job Lt. Astor works in the automotive and finances sector. “Whether I am donating my time to animal rehabilitation and release programs or to Search and Rescue missions, I feel so rewarded by helping those in need,” said Lt. Astor.
Second Lieutenant Erica Arroyo is Assistant Communication Officer for Squadron 35 and joined CAP in 2017. 2nd Lt. Arroyo is active in assisting with logistics for many Squadron 35 Search and Rescue missions. In her day job she is an aerospace engineer for the Navy and the first women engineer in her family. “I joined CAP because it provided me with the opportunity to give back to my community using my experience as an aerospace engineer and my love of aviation. I would like to thank the women who came before us because they help to lay the path for the women we are today and have inspired generations of women to follow their dreams,” said Lt. Arroyo
Second Lieutenant Jennifer Arroyo is the Squadron 35 Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Officer and with her sister Erica, joined in 2017. 2nd Lt. Arroyo decide to join CAP in 2019 after learning of their mission of giving back to the community and inspiring others to learn about aviation. 2nd Lt. Arroyo is a Cal State LA Student working on her Bachelor Science degree in Biology with emphasis in Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology. Her dream career is to become a Forensic Scientist. “I draw inspiration from the women of history that have come before me, and women from the present who continue make history,” said Lt. Arroyo.
I am the newest woman member of the Squadron joining in the fall of 2020 as the assistant public affairs officer. I am an instrument rated pilot with the Caltech Flying Club, former NASA JPL Engineer, and currently a professor of Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California. I first met CAP when I was volunteering at the Los Angeles Food Bank in the summer of 2020. I joined CAP because it is the intersection of community service and aviation, and an organization where I can make a difference as a citizen, educator and pilot.
As we reflect on the women in our lives this month, we each make a commitment to diversity as perfectly stated by former President Barack Obama in his 2016 Women’s History Month Proclamation, "During Women's History Month, we remember the trailblazers of the past, including the women who are not recorded in our history books and we honor their legacies by carrying forward the valuable lessons learned from the powerful examples they set."
Image 1: Lt. Col Leveque at Whiteman airport talking about the CAP mission with the local community in 2017. Photo credit Lt. Col. Hayden.
Image 2: 1st Lt. Rohlke serving as Mission Observer with Captain Gerald Cosey. Image credit Lt. Rohlke.
Image 3: Lt. Astor serving as Mission Scanner on a CAP Search and Rescue Mission in 2019. Image Credit Lt. Astor.
CAP Contact: Senior Member Anita Sengupta
About Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is the longtime auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a valued member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine aircraft and 1,550 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). It performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 82 lives annually. CAP’s 66,000 national members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Operating as a nonprofit organization, CAP also plays a leading role in STEM/aerospace education, and its members serve as mentors to 28,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.
