From Service to Spotlight: Lt. Jennifer Bennie’s Journey in the Navy and Beyond

Lieutenant Jennifer Bennie was absolutely ecstatic when she became one of the inspiring female veterans featured in the 2025 Pin-Ups For Vets calendar. The 47-year-old Navy helicopter pilot described the experience as being pampered beyond anything she had ever known. “I had never been so pampered. I felt so beautiful. I had my makeup professionally done, my hair. I was like, ‘I don’t even know I could look like that,'” she told The Post ahead of Veterans Day. But there was more than glamour to her photoshoot – Bennie posed with a historically significant 1945 Chrysler Town and Country, one of the last cars to feature wooden panels because metal was needed for the war effort. This thoughtful choice allowed her to honor the original pin-up tradition that boosted military morale during World War II, creating a beautiful connection between her service and America’s military history.

As a trailblazer in naval aviation, Bennie’s journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. Until the mid-1990s, women weren’t permitted to fly in combat, making her career path all the more remarkable. The North Carolina native, whose maiden name coincidentally was Mitchell (like Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun” character), found one of the most rewarding aspects of her service was changing minds about women in the military. “I would have so many guys say to me, ‘Miss Mitchell, I didn’t like women in the military, but I like you,'” she recalled with a laugh. When she entered Naval Aviation School after graduating from Penn State on a full Navy scholarship, she was among the first women in her fleet squadron, earning the call sign “Yoko” because, as the men joked, she “broke up the band of guys.” Despite the initial skepticism she faced, Bennie graduated first in her class in flight school, outperforming all her male counterparts. She excelled in both physical and technical demands, noting, “I beat everyone in the pool. You have to swim a mile in full flight gear. And I could always lift a guy on my shoulders.”

Bennie’s military service is deeply rooted in family tradition. Both her parents served in the Air Force, and her Italian maternal grandfather immigrated to Jackson Heights, Queens, before serving in World War II. Her connection to New York took on special significance just days before a pivotal moment in her career. Three days before receiving her wings in 2001, the September 11 attacks occurred, and Bennie was ordered to report to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. Before departing, she made a poignant visit to Ground Zero with her cousin. There, after midnight, she approached a police officer asking where she might purchase an NYPD patch to carry with her on missions. The officer’s response was immediate and touching – he ripped the patch from his own coat and gave it to her. “I never got his name, but I flew with it on every mission,” Bennie recalled. This small token became a powerful symbol connecting her service directly to the national tragedy that had reshaped America’s military mission.

As a helicopter pilot serving on small Navy ships, Bennie’s responsibilities were diverse and demanding, requiring exceptional skill and adaptability. “You’ve got to be really good at landing the helicopter on a small postage stamp in the water,” she explained, describing the technical precision her role demanded. Deployed twice to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2000 and 2003, she would often fly eight-hour missions, primarily at night, with unpredictable assignments. “You didn’t know what your job was gonna be. It could be surveillance, or it could turn into search and rescue, or it could turn it into medevac, someone could have a medical emergency, or it could turn into a man overboard,” she shared. This constant state of readiness and the variety of potential scenarios required her to maintain sharp skills across multiple disciplines, all while operating in high-pressure environments where she was often “the only air asset they have” for the entire naval ship.

Today, Bennie’s life continues to honor her military service while embracing new passions and family responsibilities. Now living in Millington, Tennessee – known as the human resources hub of the Navy – with her husband Scott, a Navy commander, she has built a fulfilling post-military life. After earning a master’s degree in history through the GI Bill, the mother of three now channels her love of history into a YouTube channel called Walk With History, where she guides viewers through historical sites. This creative outlet allows her to continue educating and connecting with others, much as she did during her military career, but through a different medium. While she typically keeps Veterans Day low-key, Bennie demonstrates her ongoing commitment to her fellow service members by regularly visiting veterans’ homes throughout the year. These visits highlight her understanding of the importance of human connection for those who served. “I visit every veteran in the home and some don’t get visitors,” she explained, “So when you walk in, they just light up.”

Lieutenant Bennie’s journey exemplifies the evolution of women’s roles in the military and the continued contributions veterans make to society after their active service ends. From breaking barriers as one of the first female combat pilots to honoring military history through her calendar appearance and YouTube channel, she represents the multifaceted nature of service to country. Her story bridges America’s military past and present – from her grandfather’s WWII service to her own deployments in Iraq, from the historical significance of the vintage car in her pin-up photo to her current work preserving and sharing history. As she told The Post, “I didn’t cut the trail. But I helped pave the road.” This humble assessment understates the importance of her contributions both in uniform and beyond, showing how military service shapes not just national security but also personal identity and purpose long after the uniform comes off.