It was the year 1991 very few women that had joined the navy as a fighter pilot you being one of them you had to climb the ranks and get the attention of Squadron commander, senior pilots, operations officer, commanding officer, promotion boards, but you did it after 2 ½ years after working your ass off there was a tall man who was in your training classes he had dark brown hair with deep brown eyes and a good personality he tried to act tough but would break out singing with a bunch of his friends at the bar without alcohol in his system and we were always getting promoted together without ever having a real conversation or flying together today was a promotion ceremony for us and a few other people we were being promoted to a lieutenant commander you were in your standard Service Dress White Uniform when you step up to get a gold oak leaf pinned on to your uniform after words you leave to go change and head to the bar to go celebrate becoming the second women in the U.S. to become a lieutenant commander navy fighter pilot. You get to the bar there’s bunch of men and their girlfriends and some wives celebrating there partners new promotion since this bar was close to the military base you take a seat at the bar and order a beer and just sit and watch the chaos happen across the bar you were in high waist jean shorts a white shirt and a leather jacket sitting loosely on my shoulder until a man comes and sits next to me ordering a beer he turns to be on the bar stool he’s sitting on “congratulations on your promotion your impressive maverette,” he says as he takes a sip of his beer maverette was your nickname you were given earlier on in training his was maverick so it was surprising that we never really talked together “your next drinks are on me,” he tells the bar tender to put any other of my drinks on his tab before he gets up and goes over to his friends and starts singing with his friends with or without you loudly as you watch as you lean back against the bar counter sipping your beer