Capt. Meredith Porter, the commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment in West Bend, Wisconsin, discusses her career in military aviation as Maj. Sarah Latza, commander of Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation in West Bend, Wisconsin, looks on during a panel discussion July 26, 2023, as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s WomenVenture, an effort to honor and promote women’s role in flight during the EAA’s annual AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs photo by Vaughn R. Larson
2nd Lt. Charnelle Pinson, a forward support medevac section leader with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment in West Bend, Wisconsin, discusses her military career as Maj. Sarah Latza, Capt. Meredith Porter, and Capt. Anna Leadens look on during a panel discussion July 26, 2023, as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s WomenVenture, an effort to honor and promote women’s role in flight during the EAA’s annual AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Alice Ripberger
Women interested in learning about potential careers in military aviation will have more opportunities to hear from subject matter experts at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
“This year we are expanding our support of WomenVenture into multiple days, and we are excited to share our stories again with the public,” said Capt. Meredith Porter, battalion training officer for the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment — a UH-60 Black Hawk unit — in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Up to six Wisconsin Army National Guard female aviators are expected to take part in a panel on Monday, July 22, from 10-11 a.m. at the EAA WomenVenture Center.
- The Wisconsin Air National Guard will offer a presentation, “Aim High: The Women of the Wisconsin Air National Guard,” July 22, from 1-2:15 p.m. in the WomenVenture Center.
- A forum on the pathway to becoming an Air National Guard pilot will be held Wednesday, July 24, from 9-10:15 a.m. at the AeroEducate Center.
- Capt. Meredith Porter will be part of a WomenVenture panel on Wednesday, July 24, at 6 p.m. at the Theater in the Woods.
- A forum called “Beyond the Cockpit,” about Air National Guard career opportunities in aviation support, will be held Friday, July 26, from 9-10:15 a.m. in the AeroEducate Center.
At last year’s WomenVenture, Porter was on a four-woman panel which discussed different paths into Army aviation and the lens of the female experience in a variety of Army aviation missions.
“We received a lot of positive feedback from the crowd,” Porter said, “and even other Wisconsin National Guard soldiers who were unaware of the history of our organization and opportunities that currently exist. I really enjoyed the experience, and hope we were able to show members in the audience how aviation is more accessible to young girls and women than it has ever been.”
EAA leadership expressed its satisfaction with the Wisconsin National Guard’s support of WomenVenture.
“We welcome back the Wisconsin National Guard as part of this year’s EAA WomenVenture activities,” said Margaret Brill, vice president of the EAA Aviation Foundation, who also coordinates EAA WomenVenture programming. “The National Guard has long been part of the EAA fly-in, and AirVenture is an excellent venue to showcase the Guard’s opportunities and accomplishments to a wide audience.”
This year’s theme for WomenVenture is women in vertical lift and rotorcraft aviation missions, which fits right in with Black Hawk pilots and crewmembers.
“Helicopters are a very niche part of the world of aviation,” Porter acknowledged, “so we hope to talk about helicopter missions and the general plan for Army helicopter modernization. The goal is to continue to demonstrate to the public that there are opportunities to serve, regardless of their background.”
Porter said she was unaware of aviation opportunities when enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 2014 while in college, thinking that all aircraft were part of the Air Force.
“It wasn’t until 2015 that I saw my first Army helicopter up close,” Porter recalled, “and it was then I decided that was the path I wanted to take as I worked towards commissioning as an officer.”
Porter said she is passionate about sharing her story because she wants people, especially young girls and women, to know that these opportunities exist.
“I feel very lucky to be where I am,” she said. “But we should work towards a future where high-achieving women don’t have to rely on luck to find their way into aviation.”
