Lieutenant Junior Grade Erin E. Coulter of the United States Navy was one of fourteen distinguished officers to earn “Wings of Gold” during a naval aviator designation ceremony that took place on June 27, 2014 at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, Texas. Erin is a 2007 graduate of the Old Rochester Regional High School and grew up in Mattapoisett prior to moving to Grand Forks, ND to complete a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Aviation.
The Naval Aviator designation ceremony marks the culmination of two years of specialized training, which prepares officers for the rigorous demands of aerial combat and carrier operations – earning the title of “Naval Aviator” and the right to wear the coveted “Wings of Gold.”
Coulter completed Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and Aviation Preflight Indoctrination at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Following this initial training, she moved to Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma for primary flight training in the T-6A Texan II. Upon completion of primary flight training, Erin was selected for the Tail Hook pipeline, which comprises carrier-based squadrons of pilots. Coulter moved to Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, and was assigned to the VT-22 Golden Eagles, Training Air Wing Two, to complete intermediate and advanced strike training. Coulter carrier qualified in the T-45C on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on June 8, 2014. The newly designated “Naval Aviator” will now move on to Naval Air Station Lemoore, California to begin training on her new platform, the Super Hornet, F/A-18 E/F.