Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner (née Bryant; formerly Conatser; April 2, 1953 – January 24, 2019) was an American pilot and one of the first six women to earn their wings as a United States Naval Aviator in 1974. She was the first female military pilot to fly a tactical jet and the first to achieve command of an operational aviation squadron. Early life and education Rosemary Ann Mariner was born in Harlingen, Texas, to Cecil James Bryant and Constance Bryant (née Boylan), and grew up in San Diego, California with a keen interest in aircraft and flying. Her mother was a Navy nurse during World War II, and her father served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II and in the Air Force during the Korean War as an attack pilot. He and co-pilot Donald Carillo were killed in an accidental plane crash on March 20, 1956, when Rosemary was three years old. While growing up, Mariner enjoyed watching planes at Miramar Naval Air Station, and she worked odd jobs, cleaned houses, and washed aircraft to earn money for flying lessons and flight time. She graduated from Purdue University in December 1972 at age 19, becoming the first woman to graduate from the aeronautical program. She earned a degree in aviation technology, and also earned FAA flight engineer and pilot ratings before joining the Navy. While in the Navy, Mariner earned a Master's degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College. Navy career Rosemary Bryant Mariner (then Rosemary B. Conatser) joined the United States Navy in 1973 after being selected as one of the first eight women to enter U.S. Navy pilot training. She completed Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, then headed to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida for basic flight training. She was designated a Naval Aviator in June 1974 and became one of the first six women to earn their wings as a United States Naval Aviator, alongside Barbara Allen Rainey, Jane Skiles O'Dea, Judith Ann Neuffer, Ana Marie Fuqua, and Joellen Drag. In 1975, Mariner was one of the first female military aviators to fly a tactical strike aircraft, a single seat A-4L Skyhawk. In 1976, she transitioned to the A-7E Corsair II, making her the first woman to fly a front-line tactical strike aircraft. During a ship's company assignment, Mariner earned a dual-designation as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard the