CMDR. Sally deGozzaldi
U.S Navy – Helicopter Pilot
Commanding Officer of HT-8
Guam, Africa, Haiti, Mediterranean, Caribbean
1985-2005
U.S Navy – Helicopter Pilot
Commanding Officer of HT-8
Guam, Africa, Haiti, Mediterranean, Caribbean
1985-2005
Growing Up in Connecticut, College at Amherst
Born in 1962 in Stamford, CT, Sally deGozzaldi was the middle child of three girls. The family moved frequently for her father’s job working for Roxbury Carpet. Growing up Sally knew she wanted to fly. “I always had a passion for flying. I had a dream.” In 1980 Sally graduated Framingham South High School and was not at all thinking about the Military. Instead, she headed off to Amherst College in Massachusetts to pursue a degree in Geology.
While she was attending Amherst a teammate from the Amherst field hockey team, who at the time was serving in the Navy, sent her a motivational letter saying, “this is the best way to learn, you’ll have the best instructors, you’ll have the most challenging flying, and you’ll get paid to do it.” Sally thought this would be a good way to get her pilot’s license and she took the test for Aviation Officers Candidate School (AOCS) and applied in 1982 while still at Amherst. However, Sally wasn’t selected.
Aviation Officers Candidate School
When President Reagan took office in January of 1981, he began his program to rebuild the U.S. military and the Navy was looking for people. In June of ’84 Sally graduated with a geology degree and began looking for a job. While she was deciding between a job offer to be a teacher and an offer to be a groundwater consultant, the Navy recruiter called and asked Sally if she would like to attend AOCS. She said, “yes, I’m interested.” She retook the exam and by January 1985 Sally was in AOCS in Pensacola, FL. “I had no idea what I was getting into.” The decision caught her parents off guard. “Mom was a little aghast but both Mom and Dad were proud. They both were also a little concerned.” At that time the military’s reputation among the civilian sector was still recovering from the unfavorable reputation during the Vietnam War.
After 13 weeks of AOCS, Sally went immediately to flight school and completed primary training at which time she had to decide which aviation pipeline she wanted to pursue. At that time women were not permitted to hold combat roles. That limited her option to select fighter jets, as there were only a few jet positions that were non-combat and the positions were already filled. In addition, Sally was not tall enough for multi-engine aircraft. She selected helicopters, completed flight training 12 months after getting her commission and she reported to her first squadron in Norfolk Virginia, HSL-30 as an Ensign.
Helicopters Pilot
Sally was assigned to a helicopter detachment that flew off research and science vessels. While on the research vessel Sally flew missions involving coastal mapping off the Horn of Africa. This was done prior to the development GPS and involved moving equipment so that scientist could use triangulation to identify the ship’s location which made mapping possible. Sally was involved with moving the equipment into position using vertical replenishment. Sally enjoyed her tour and the challenges.
Naval Post Graduate School and NASA
At the time Sally wasn’t thinking of a career in the military and she viewed it as an opportunity to accumulate flight hours. Sally was considering leaving the Navy at the end of her tour but then she was selected as an Admiral’s Aid for a female Admiral. “Admiral Louise C. Willmot was amazing. Her leadership is what convinced me to stay in the Navy to try it some more.” With the help of the Admiral, Sally found a job in the Naval Post Graduate School, and she was able to get her master’s degree. Sally was looking to challenge herself and she had a dream of joining the astronaut program at NASA. Her master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering positioned her to do that. She applied to the astronaut program twice; In 1992 and 1993. She made the first cut at the Navy level but didn’t make the NASA cut. “My grades were ok, but they just weren’t as good as they needed to be. It was a dream that I pursued. I didn’t make it and went to plan B.”
Plan B was to become a Squadron Commander. Sally realized she needed to be involved in a more competitive environment and she targeted the H46 community where she could hold a combat support role. “You were on an equal playing field with the guys that were stationed there.”.
Helicopter Squadron Commander
H46 helicopter is a dual rotor, medium lift transport aircraft similar to a Chinook helicopter except it has three wheels instead of four making it easier to fit on the flight deck of naval vessels. It is used for carrying cargo, troop transport, search and rescue, special operations, and disaster relief missions. Landing on ships in rough seas and at night challenged her pilot skills.
While flying the H46, from 1992 – 1995, Sally was assigned to Helicopter Compat Squadron Eight (HC-8). She deployed on multiple deployments to the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Arabian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, “I never had a bad landing, but it was challenging at times.” Sally recalled returning from a resupply mission off the coast of Sicily. The resupply ship was enveloped in bank of thick fog. “We kept doing the approaches and we just couldn’t see. We had to wave off because we didn’t want to hit the ship.” After multiple landing attempts they were low on fuel and were forced to return to Sigonella to refuel. The ship eventually moved to an area with greater visibility and Sally returned the helicopter safely to the flight deck. “It’s really weird when you’re within 100 yards and you can’t see.”
Junior Staff War College
Sally’s next assignment was the Junior Staff War College in 1996. This was a rigorous year long program focused on national security and interagency communication. During this year Sally was married and had a son.
After she graduated from Junior Staff War College, she went back to a H46 helicopter attachment based in Guam and served there from 1996 - 1999. She received updated training and also assumed the role of Officer in Charge of an Air Detachment, Safety Officer and then Maintenance Officer. She completed deployments in the waters off of Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia. This tour put a real strain on her marriage. “At the end of the day the military will test a marriage and if it’s not going to work, it will make it not work a lot faster.” Sally was divorced and found herself a single mom in the military.
Staff Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff
When the tour in Guam ended in 1999 she was assigned to the Pentagon from 1999 – 2001, as a staff officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are the most senior uniformed military leaders within the Department of Defense and their role is to advise the President of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security council, and the National Security Council on military matters. She held the rank of Lt. Commander and worked on the J7 in the Joint Doctrine division. Doctrine provides the rules for how the military will operate. The J7 had to bring together all of the different services and get agreement on the Doctrine that will dictate how they will operate during war and peacetime.
It was a tough demanding job but with the help of a strong network of other single moms and dads Sally made it through. During this time Sally reconnected with a really good friend from college. Their friendship developed into a romance and in 2001 they were married.
Sally recalled working in the Pentagon on 9/11. She was in the inner ring, one sector over from where the plane piloted by terrorists crashed into the building. She recalled hearing the plane hit and feeling the vibration from the impact. When she evacuated outside, she recalled a big plume of smoke rising into the air. All air traffic was grounded in the United States. Sally talked about the eerie quiet that fell over Washington with the empty air space.
In ’02 Sally was selected in a very competitive process to be a Commanding Officer for a training squadron. She was assigned to a Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field in FL. Sally’s second son was born in July and she was at her command in August. Her third son was born while she was a commanding officer.
Retirement and Second Career in Secondary Education
In 2005 Sally retired from the Navy and decided she wanted to go into teaching. Two of her sons were still young children so she decided not to take the accelerated path to becoming a teacher. After two and a half years she received her teaching certification just as her youngest son headed off to kindergarten.
Sally was hired by the Avon, CT School District in September of 2009 to teach math at Avon High School. Sally found it a big adjustment coming from the military and entering the civilian world. “It was a big adjustment. Everyone in the military volunteer to be there. There were different motivational techniques. I had to broaden my repertoire of how to deal with people. I really had to work at it.”
Sally continues to fly along with her husband who is also a pilot in a Cirrus SR 22 single engine propeller fixed wing plane. Sally’s oldest son just completed four and a half years of service as a Communications Officer in the Marine Corp. Her younger two sons are in college. She retired from the Navy because of the difficulty of raising children while deployed. When asked if she enjoyed her time in the Navy she quickly responded: “Yes, it was challenging but very rewarding and I would do it again. “
Sally, we all thank you and your family for that sacrifices you made on our behalf. We can only admire the determination you showed in setting lofty goals and your ability to be resilient and adapt when things didn’t go your way.
Non sibi sed patriae. Hooyah!
Born in 1962 in Stamford, CT, Sally deGozzaldi was the middle child of three girls. The family moved frequently for her father’s job working for Roxbury Carpet. Growing up Sally knew she wanted to fly. “I always had a passion for flying. I had a dream.” In 1980 Sally graduated Framingham South High School and was not at all thinking about the Military. Instead, she headed off to Amherst College in Massachusetts to pursue a degree in Geology.
While she was attending Amherst a teammate from the Amherst field hockey team, who at the time was serving in the Navy, sent her a motivational letter saying, “this is the best way to learn, you’ll have the best instructors, you’ll have the most challenging flying, and you’ll get paid to do it.” Sally thought this would be a good way to get her pilot’s license and she took the test for Aviation Officers Candidate School (AOCS) and applied in 1982 while still at Amherst. However, Sally wasn’t selected.
Aviation Officers Candidate School
When President Reagan took office in January of 1981, he began his program to rebuild the U.S. military and the Navy was looking for people. In June of ’84 Sally graduated with a geology degree and began looking for a job. While she was deciding between a job offer to be a teacher and an offer to be a groundwater consultant, the Navy recruiter called and asked Sally if she would like to attend AOCS. She said, “yes, I’m interested.” She retook the exam and by January 1985 Sally was in AOCS in Pensacola, FL. “I had no idea what I was getting into.” The decision caught her parents off guard. “Mom was a little aghast but both Mom and Dad were proud. They both were also a little concerned.” At that time the military’s reputation among the civilian sector was still recovering from the unfavorable reputation during the Vietnam War.
After 13 weeks of AOCS, Sally went immediately to flight school and completed primary training at which time she had to decide which aviation pipeline she wanted to pursue. At that time women were not permitted to hold combat roles. That limited her option to select fighter jets, as there were only a few jet positions that were non-combat and the positions were already filled. In addition, Sally was not tall enough for multi-engine aircraft. She selected helicopters, completed flight training 12 months after getting her commission and she reported to her first squadron in Norfolk Virginia, HSL-30 as an Ensign.
Helicopters Pilot
Sally was assigned to a helicopter detachment that flew off research and science vessels. While on the research vessel Sally flew missions involving coastal mapping off the Horn of Africa. This was done prior to the development GPS and involved moving equipment so that scientist could use triangulation to identify the ship’s location which made mapping possible. Sally was involved with moving the equipment into position using vertical replenishment. Sally enjoyed her tour and the challenges.
Naval Post Graduate School and NASA
At the time Sally wasn’t thinking of a career in the military and she viewed it as an opportunity to accumulate flight hours. Sally was considering leaving the Navy at the end of her tour but then she was selected as an Admiral’s Aid for a female Admiral. “Admiral Louise C. Willmot was amazing. Her leadership is what convinced me to stay in the Navy to try it some more.” With the help of the Admiral, Sally found a job in the Naval Post Graduate School, and she was able to get her master’s degree. Sally was looking to challenge herself and she had a dream of joining the astronaut program at NASA. Her master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering positioned her to do that. She applied to the astronaut program twice; In 1992 and 1993. She made the first cut at the Navy level but didn’t make the NASA cut. “My grades were ok, but they just weren’t as good as they needed to be. It was a dream that I pursued. I didn’t make it and went to plan B.”
Plan B was to become a Squadron Commander. Sally realized she needed to be involved in a more competitive environment and she targeted the H46 community where she could hold a combat support role. “You were on an equal playing field with the guys that were stationed there.”.
Helicopter Squadron Commander
H46 helicopter is a dual rotor, medium lift transport aircraft similar to a Chinook helicopter except it has three wheels instead of four making it easier to fit on the flight deck of naval vessels. It is used for carrying cargo, troop transport, search and rescue, special operations, and disaster relief missions. Landing on ships in rough seas and at night challenged her pilot skills.
While flying the H46, from 1992 – 1995, Sally was assigned to Helicopter Compat Squadron Eight (HC-8). She deployed on multiple deployments to the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Arabian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, “I never had a bad landing, but it was challenging at times.” Sally recalled returning from a resupply mission off the coast of Sicily. The resupply ship was enveloped in bank of thick fog. “We kept doing the approaches and we just couldn’t see. We had to wave off because we didn’t want to hit the ship.” After multiple landing attempts they were low on fuel and were forced to return to Sigonella to refuel. The ship eventually moved to an area with greater visibility and Sally returned the helicopter safely to the flight deck. “It’s really weird when you’re within 100 yards and you can’t see.”
Junior Staff War College
Sally’s next assignment was the Junior Staff War College in 1996. This was a rigorous year long program focused on national security and interagency communication. During this year Sally was married and had a son.
After she graduated from Junior Staff War College, she went back to a H46 helicopter attachment based in Guam and served there from 1996 - 1999. She received updated training and also assumed the role of Officer in Charge of an Air Detachment, Safety Officer and then Maintenance Officer. She completed deployments in the waters off of Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia. This tour put a real strain on her marriage. “At the end of the day the military will test a marriage and if it’s not going to work, it will make it not work a lot faster.” Sally was divorced and found herself a single mom in the military.
Staff Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff
When the tour in Guam ended in 1999 she was assigned to the Pentagon from 1999 – 2001, as a staff officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are the most senior uniformed military leaders within the Department of Defense and their role is to advise the President of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security council, and the National Security Council on military matters. She held the rank of Lt. Commander and worked on the J7 in the Joint Doctrine division. Doctrine provides the rules for how the military will operate. The J7 had to bring together all of the different services and get agreement on the Doctrine that will dictate how they will operate during war and peacetime.
It was a tough demanding job but with the help of a strong network of other single moms and dads Sally made it through. During this time Sally reconnected with a really good friend from college. Their friendship developed into a romance and in 2001 they were married.
Sally recalled working in the Pentagon on 9/11. She was in the inner ring, one sector over from where the plane piloted by terrorists crashed into the building. She recalled hearing the plane hit and feeling the vibration from the impact. When she evacuated outside, she recalled a big plume of smoke rising into the air. All air traffic was grounded in the United States. Sally talked about the eerie quiet that fell over Washington with the empty air space.
In ’02 Sally was selected in a very competitive process to be a Commanding Officer for a training squadron. She was assigned to a Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field in FL. Sally’s second son was born in July and she was at her command in August. Her third son was born while she was a commanding officer.
Retirement and Second Career in Secondary Education
In 2005 Sally retired from the Navy and decided she wanted to go into teaching. Two of her sons were still young children so she decided not to take the accelerated path to becoming a teacher. After two and a half years she received her teaching certification just as her youngest son headed off to kindergarten.
Sally was hired by the Avon, CT School District in September of 2009 to teach math at Avon High School. Sally found it a big adjustment coming from the military and entering the civilian world. “It was a big adjustment. Everyone in the military volunteer to be there. There were different motivational techniques. I had to broaden my repertoire of how to deal with people. I really had to work at it.”
Sally continues to fly along with her husband who is also a pilot in a Cirrus SR 22 single engine propeller fixed wing plane. Sally’s oldest son just completed four and a half years of service as a Communications Officer in the Marine Corp. Her younger two sons are in college. She retired from the Navy because of the difficulty of raising children while deployed. When asked if she enjoyed her time in the Navy she quickly responded: “Yes, it was challenging but very rewarding and I would do it again. “
Sally, we all thank you and your family for that sacrifices you made on our behalf. We can only admire the determination you showed in setting lofty goals and your ability to be resilient and adapt when things didn’t go your way.
Non sibi sed patriae. Hooyah!