Marine Officer - jennifer

<span> <p> <img style="float: none;" src="http://assets2.marines.com/assetmgr/image/disp/inline/size/460x259/id/5498" alt="Maj Jennifer Grieves <br/> Helicopter Pilot" /><h2>Marine One: The Presidential Helicopter</h2>Maj Jennifer Grieves:<br /> Our mission here at HMX is to fly for the president, the vice president, heads of state, foreign dignitaries and DOD personnel. There´s 70 pilots at HMX-1, and the CO is the president´s personal pilot. He´ll select some four or five of his 70 pilots to augment him in that position, being Marine 1 Aircraft commanders, which means they´re qualified to fly, sign for an aircraft, to be in charge of the plane with the President of the United States on board. So I´ve been doing that for about three months now with four other Marines who augment him. And this is an awesome responsibility. I mean, just the gravity of it all, and the face of the Marine Corps is always on the camera.<hr /><h2>Becoming an Officer</h2>Maj Jennifer Grieves:<br /> I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1990, came in as a private and went through different duty stations. After I finished flight school, I was sent to New River, North Carolina, to start training on the 53 Echo, which is behind us. I was there for about four or five years, and then I came up to HMX, which is where I´m currently stationed now in Quantico. As a female officer in the Marine Corps, I think the opportunities that are available to me are the same as they are to male officers. That´s the beauty, I think, of the Marine Corps. I don´t think being a female has hindered me at all, as far as opportunities go. I think everybody expects you to do your job, and I would encourage females and males to join the Marine Corps and pursue an officer slot. I, honestly, just wanted to come in the Marine Corps, I wanted to be a Marine. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here, that´s for sure, or doing what I´m doing.<hr /><h2>Deployment Overseas</h2>Maj Jennifer Grieves:<br /> In 2002, I deployed with HMH 264 over to Mosul, Iraq, and we spent about eight months on the USS Iwo Jima. And the 53 generally in the fleet doing missions is authorized to carry yourself, your copilot and typically if you´re in a war zone, up to three crewmen. We have a tail gun and two side guns. You are using crew coordination to work as a crew to get the aircraft safely through the mission, safely, but ultimately, if you´re signing for the aircraft and you´re in charge, you´re in charge of everybody in it. So it´s an enormous responsibility. <hr /><h2>A Life of Service</h2>Maj Jennifer Grieves:<br /> Being in the Marine Corps has had an enormous effect on my life. It´s unbelievably amazing, the support structure, and what the command does for the Marines, and what the Marines do for each other. There´s a wide variety of jobs, I think each one has its own benefits and just being a Marine Corp officer, in general, I think is a pretty good endeavor to embark on. So I hope I´ve been able to make an impact on some of the Marines I´ve taught how to fly the 53, and other things,as well. So I would recommend it to anybody for four years, at least. Come in, give it a shot. And I know you´ll feel better about it, and you´ll feel good about serving your country.<hr /> </p> </span>

I wanted to come into the Marine Corps; I wanted to become a Marine. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here, flying the president’s helicopter.
-Maj Jennifer Grieves

Enlisted: 1990
Commissioned: 1998
Commissioning Program: Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program

In 2008, Major Jennifer Grieves became the first female pilot of Marine One, the helicopter of the President of the United States. Of the 70 pilots in the HMX unit, she was one of only five cleared for the honor and responsibility of commanding the president’s helicopter.

While most Marine One pilots serve in that position for one year, Maj Grieves’s tour extended through July 2009. She then advanced to the Command and Staff College in preparation for a future assignment in the operating forces.

Grieves enlisted in 1990 and earned her commission eight years later. After leading as a sergeant, becoming an officer put Grieves in a position to make command decisions and to prove herself as a pilot.

Marines. The Few. The Proud.

Maj Jennifer Grieves
Helicopter Pilot

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Marines. The Few. The Proud.

Maj Jennifer Grieves Helicopter Pilot

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Maj Jennifer Grieves
Helicopter Pilot