Whereas, while women had officially served in various capacities in the Navy since 1908, prior to 1973, women had been prevented from serving as naval aviators; Whereas, in October 1972, the Navy announced a program to open flight training to women; Whereas, on January 10, 1973, Secretary of the Navy John Warner presented flight training orders to Judith Neuffer, the first woman to be selected for flight training in the Navy; Whereas 7 additional women were selected for training as naval aviators, and the group consisted of 4 women who already served as Navy officers and 4 civilians; Whereas, on March 2, 1973, the first 4 women already serving as Navy officers began flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida; Whereas the 4 civilian women selected for flight training were commissioned in May 1973, and reported to training at Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 4, 1973; Whereas, on February 22, 1974, Barbara Allen became the first female naval aviator to earn her Wings of Gold; Whereas, out of the 8 women to be selected for flight training, 6 women, nicknamed the First Six (referred to in this preamble as the First Six ), would go on to earn their Wings of Gold; Whereas the First Six comprised Judith Neuffer, Barbara Allen, Rosemary Conatser, Jane Skiles, Joellen Drag, and Ann Marie Scott; Whereas Naval Air Station Pensacola is the Cradle of Naval Aviation and serves as the training ground for every naval aviator; Whereas Naval Air Station Pensacola has played a valuable role in the historic milestone of women training to be naval aviators; and Whereas the First Six became the first women to hold various naval aviation positions in the Navy: Now, therefore, be it