INTRODUCTION: WOMEN IN THE MILITARY - JESSICA ABRIL-CURTIS

Women historically have had to circumvent rules and convention to be part of active military situations. During the Civil War, for example, women had to appear to be men in order to take part. How a woman was able to pass enlistment scrutiny has to do with the modesty of the day as the certifying surgeon did not require disrobing of recruits. During World War I, the British had the WAACs (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps), a volunteer organization. The U.S. followed this model in WWII. The iterations found in America were the WACs (Women's Army Corps) and WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), both starting as women’s volunteer organizations.  President Harry Truman signed the Army-Navy Nurses Act in 1947 that integrated women into the pay and rank structure of the military federalizing the volunteer organizations to combine with existing service branches.

First female linguist to qualify on the Osprey CV-22

Jessica Abril-Curtis was born in Long Beach, CA spending her first years in Morro Bay, CA, with her brother Eric. Jessica graduated Oak Grove High School in San Jose, CA Magna Cum Laude in 2003, twelve years before the military would remove gender-based restrictions. She traded a college career to elope and have her son Noah. Over the next five years, life threw her some curve balls. Jessica made some hard decisions, including ending her marriage. She had decided to follow the footsteps of both her Mexican–American and German-Dutch grandfathers by joining the Air Force.

“I had no idea what the Air Force would be like,” Jessica admitted. “I walked into the recruiter’s office and said, ‘Yes, hello, I would like to join the Air Force please.’”

When the recruiter asked her what she wanted to do in the Air Force, she paused. Jessica had not given what she wanted to do much thought.

“I was just ready to do what I was told and get some healthcare for my son.”

Her patriotism did motivate her during her career but not at this point.

She scored a 98 on the Armed Services Aptitude Battery Test (ASVAB) so the recruiter sent her to take the specialized Defense Language Aptitude Battery Test (DLAB). Jessica did well enough to become a linguist.

“They asked if I wanted to be airborne or ground, and what language I wanted. I requested to be a ground Chinese linguist, so they made me an airborne Spanish linguist!”

After six months at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, CA, Jessica was able to speak formal Spanish. She then learned cryptology and intelligence at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, TX.  

“At this point, I was feeling a lot less like a high school grad and more like an Airman, proud and confident and driven.”

She next went to Spokane, WA for SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape) training. The Air Force then rounded out her training with water survival and parachute training in Pensacola, FL.

For all her technical training, Jessica was an honors graduate. 

Her first duty station was at Hurlburt Field, FL.

“I was stationed at an AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) base (1 SOW: 1st Special Operations Wing) where airborne linguists are known as DSOs (pronounced dizzo, direct support operator)”.

She became a “gunship gal” providing enhanced situational awareness and imminent threat warning for the crew on the AC-130U Spooky she was part of.

“Though I got air sick from time to time, I loved the sulfur smell of the spent 105mm shells.”

When she was qualified as a DSO, it was celebrated by a grog ceremony.

“DSO instructors would make a demented concoction of liquor and beer, random condiments, and in front of the whole squadron would drop an enlisted aircrew pin into the grog and say, ‘Get your wings.’ I chugged the grog like my life depended on it. Then my instructors dumped an igloo of cold water on me. It’s all on video. It was one of the proudest days of my life. “

Jessica and her 5-year old son Noah would start their day before the crack of dawn.

“I’d take him to a sitter so I could make it to 0730 PT. The sitter put him on the bus for school, and then took him from the bus after school.” 

There were times when Jessica did not pick Noah up until the next morning when she had to crew on long flights.

“I also took on being his soccer coach and taking him to drum lessons. I don’t know how I did it all except I felt I had something to prove and I was in my early twenties.”

Jessica also wanted to be part of the 1st Special Operations Wing activities. She joined the volleyball team and attended parties as she remembers it.

“Like other young female Airmen, I was hit on constantly and probably put up with way too much sexual harassment. Over the course of my first few years at Hurlburt Field, my female peers and I experienced pretty toxic behavior, rumors, sexist comments, slurs, and sexual assault.”

 

Jessica noticed this unwanted attention even more while on deployments.

Jessica believes it is important to include this but does not want to dwell on the boys’ club mentality she and others overcome to this day. She, instead, focuses on the feeling of respect and camaraderie that was part of a tactical air crew.

“I knew that every time I stepped onboard the aircraft gender was left at the door.”

Jessica met her future husband by the time she qualified as a DSO and they are still married today.

The aircraft/platforms she mastered are AC-130 H Spectre, the AC-130W Stinger II, and the CV-22 Osprey (tilt-rotor).

“I swear, the Osprey pilots tried to make me throw up but I never did.”

Jessica was the first female linguist to qualify on the CV-22.

The Osprey was what she chose for her final flight when exiting the Air Force. After her final flight, Jessica recalls being hosed down with fire extinguishers and champagne. “It was awesome!” That final flight was in 2013.

Jessica recognizes things are changing slowly.

“Over the years, it’s been nice to see more diversity among the ranks, especially in roles of leadership. But they have to walk that same fine line—to be part of the team or risk alienation.”

Jessica realized most of her Air Force experience was improving on her training. She enjoyed the challenge of new ideas and learning in general.  She even decided to enter college. First, she did all the C.L.E.P exams she could to earn credits toward her first degree, an A.A. in Intelligence Studies granted by the Community College of the Air Force. She also earned a Defense Language Institute A.A Foreign Language-Spanish.

She used her A.A. to enter Eastern New Mexico University after she exiting the Air Force in 2013. Jessica earned a B.S in the discipline of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. That was followed by a M.S. in biology. Read her Published Thesis in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, “Detection of New World Hantavirus Antibodies in Rodents of Eastern New Mexico, USA.”

Jessica works as an educator and government contractor operating aircraft simulators for the Air Force. When asked about primary motivation for her choices she shared the following.

“Whether Noah knows it or not, it’s all been for him. He went from rice and beans one night and beans and rice the next to having health insurance, college benefits, and any future he wants.

“Despite the scary times, the frustrating times, I met some of the best people I know in the Air Force. AFSOC is manned by some impressive aviators and pure professionals.”

— Story by: Michael Caro

References used

UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II, Special Studies, THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS by Mattie E. Treadwell.