#029 - The First Female Blue Angels Pilot - Katie Cook '08

Katie Ann (Higgins) Cook

Katie who is a 2008 graduate of the Naval Academy, joins the podcast while serving as a United States Marine out of Houston, Texas.  She was in the 13th Company and a political science major with a minor in Spanish. She was a member of the women's swimming team.

Katie has a deep connection to the Naval Academy as her father, uncle, brother and sister-in-law are all academy grads.  She was selected to the United States Marine Corps Aviation community out of the academy and ultimately ended up flying the C 130.

After flying combat missions in Afghanistan, she tells us the story of her applying for the elite Blue Angels demonstration team and how she was selected.  She gives us a candid look behind the curtain of the difficulties of being a woman in a male dominated environment as well as the look at what an amazing experience being in the Blue Angels is.  She shares some hilarious stories.

I have to ask her about how she ended up being a guest on the popular show "The Bachelor" which I love (she was not there as one of the women competing to date/marry the bachelor) and she gives us some behind the scenes perspective on "Pilot Pete" and that show.

This is a great episode with an incredibly bright, funny and wise Marine Officer.  We learn so much about Marine Aviation, the Blue Angels, life and leadership.  She has an incredible message and I was inspired by her and her story.

Katie's message is incredibly motivational and I encourage you to share this episode with others especially people feeling alone in a situation.

Invite Katie into your event to discuss stories of her success in mostly male dominated professions and fields; the United States Marine Corps and Naval Aviation. Hear her stories and recommendations of how diversity and inclusion can help your organization or group excel in the 21st centur

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Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast and the USNA Property Network Podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a boutique residential real estate company that specializes in serving the United States Naval Academy community PCSing to California & Texas.

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