Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on November 5, 2019
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Military, Aviation & Nautical, Women, Non-Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
A fresh, unique insider’s view of what it’s like to be a woman aviator in today’s US Navy—from pedicures to parachutes, friendship to firefights. Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviation candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Officer. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and one of the first women to drop bombs on ISIS.
Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks, and yet is in many respects still a fraternity. Johnson offers an insider’s view on the fascinating, thrilling, dangerous and, at times, glamorous world of being a naval aviator.
This is a coming-of age story about a young college-aged woman who draws strength from a tight knit group of friends, called the Jet Girls, and struggles with all the ordinary problems of life: love, work, catty housewives, father figures, make-up, wardrobe, not to mention being put into harm’s way daily with terrorist groups such as ISIS and world powers such as Russia and Iran.
Some of the most memorable parts of the book are about real life in training, in the air and in combat—how do you deal with having to pee in a cockpit the size of a bumper car going 600 miles an hour?
Not just a memoir, this book also aims to change the conversation and to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women who are tempted to explore a life of adventure and service.
Alternating between her time in the Naval Academy and later flight school to her deployment, Caroline Johnson gives readers a glimpse at the rigorous mental and physical training that all pilots undergo with special emphasis on those that fly jets.
I thoroughly enjoyed Caroline’s story telling and watching hearing about her growth into an accomplished service member in spite of adversity. As a military spouse with girlfriends in the military, I have heard a number of stories that confirm the continued existence of the good ole boys club. I will say that as a spouse, I was horrified by the wives of her squadron mates behavior and by the end, Caroline was far more forgiving than I was but that is a soapbox for another day.
The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read was the heavy use of jargon. Admittedly, I don’t see how Caroline and Hof could have avoided it but it still made parts of the story difficult to follow. Regardless, Caroline is a natural storyteller and she had me laughing and crying as she took us on a tour of her time with the U.S. Navy.
Overall, this is a necessary start to a long-overdue conversation with the next generation of service members regarding equal treatment and opportunities for minorities in the U.S. military, with an emphasis on women. While Caroline’s story is limited to her time within the Navy, the issues discussed are hardly limited to this branch of the military and even extends into the civilian world as well. Bullying some random soldier, sailor, or what have you, into serving as an EO Rep isn’t fixing the pervasive issues within our ranks. I hope Caroline continues to advocate for changes in leadership as she continues on her journey in the private sector. Maybe one day we will all serve or work under exceptional leaders like Admiral Bullet.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Caroline Johnson
Colorado born and raised, Caroline Johnson traded the mountains and her skis for the bay and a sailboat when she joined the Navy.
A Naval Academy 2009 graduate, she subsequently joined the elite, naval aviation community, flying F/A-18 Super Hornets. Deploying on the USS George H.W. Bush she saw combat in Afghanistan, Iraq, & Syria and was on eof the first women to drop bombs on ISIS.
Along the way she’s collected a few degrees, a couple awards, and accomplished things most people dream about. Today, she is a published author, and keynote speaker blazing trails in the private sector.
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