The F/A-18E/F is one of six aircraft that fly during most Blue Angels displays.
The Blue Angels announced a total of six new team members. The other new members include an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon “to replace outgoing team members,” the Blue Angels release said.
While Lee is set to be the first woman to serve in this role with the team, “For over 55 years, hundreds of women have served with the Blue Angels representing the best of the Navy and Marine Corps,” the release said.
“We had an overwhelming number of applicants from around the world this year,” Capt. Brian Kesselring, commander and flight leader of the Blue Angels, said in the release. “We look forward to training our fantastic new team members, passing the torch and watching the incredible things this team will achieve in 2023.”
These six new team members were selected to be interviewed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla., during the week of the Pensacola Beach Air Show, July 6-9, the release said.
The new team members will report to the squadron in September and begin the five-month training program in November at NAS Pensacola, Fla., and Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., the release said.
The Blue Angels’ mission is to “demonstrate the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach,” the release said. The Blue Angels were founded in 1946 and perform many shows across the US each year.
