Vernice Armour

Author & America’s first Black female combat pilot

The Baird Lecture

Thursday, March 13, 2025, 7 p.m.
Alumni Gym, Koury Athletic Center

Vernice Armour made history during Operation Iraqi Freedom as America’s first African American female combat pilot. The author of “Zero to Breakthrough, The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter,” Armour launched VAI Consulting and Training LLC after her completion of two tours as a U.S. Marine in Iraq. Through her consulting and training firm she helps individuals and organizations make moves to create breakthrough results by applying her “Zero to Breakthrough Success Model.”

Born in Chicago and then growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Armour became the first woman of color to serve on the Nashville Police Department’s motorcycle squad and was later commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on her way to flight school. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Armour flew above the deserts of Iraq in her missile-equipped attack helicopter, engaging the enemy and scouting the roads from her cockpit, making sure they were safe for her fellow Marines and soldiers on the ground.

Her story has been featured by media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, The View, FOX News and by Oprah Winfrey. Additionally, she has been a running back for the San Diego Sunfire professional women’s football team and two-time title holder of Camp Pendleton’s Strongest Warrior Competition. She is working on her next book, “The Gutsy Move.”

Admission: $15 or Elon ID. Tickets will be available beginning February 20 at ElonTickets.com.