The 420 Flyer

AFROTC Detachment
420

Issue 7
Mar 2003

Thoughts from Det 420's
First Women Grads

Bette MacTaggart and Pat Mankowski
were commissioned in 1975

       Duluth News article, Fall 1975

      “First Women ROTC Grads at UMD
     In a ceremony held June 14, 1975, in the Kirby Student Center Ballroom, UMD’s Air Force ROTC commissioned 15 cadets as second lieutenants in the Air Force.  Included in the group were the first two women graduates of the program at UMD:  Patricia R. Mankowski, Duluth, and Bette K. MacTaggart, Edina, Min.

      Ms. Mankowski, a geography major, hopes to become an aircraft maintenance officer and Ms. MacTaggart, an art major, desires to enter an information field. Both women intend to make a career in the Air Force.”

      Both Bette and Pat contributed articles to this newsletter on pages 4 and 5. Enjoy reading thoughts and experiences from their entirely different Air Force careers. They were two of the first women to enter an Air Force that had never before known female officers. (Currently about 30% of Det 420’s cadet corps are females.) They have some great insights. Many thanks to both for being so willing to share.

Inside this issue
______________________________

   Space Lift 

   Where in the World?

   What Does Not Kill Us, Makes
   Us Stronger
   by Bette MacTaggart Kalohi

   Every Day is a New
  and Different Challenge
   by Pat Refsdal

   Cadet News

   Smorgasbord

   From the Archives 
_______________________________

   We hope this will

• Establish contact with alumni
  and cadre

• Share current Det 420 events
  and cadet news

• Provide opportunities to
  rekindle old friendships

• Help to maintain an up-to-date
  database of alumni names and
  addresses

• AFROTC Det 930 merged
  with Det 420 in 1984.  We
  want to provide the opportu-
  nity for Det 930 graduates to
  share and contribute to this
  newsletter.  You are indeed
  a part of the Pride of the North!