She moved to Massachusetts, United States in 1982 when she was nine years old. Today, she makes Dominicans proud. She is recognized for being the first Latina National Guard Black Hawk pilot.
Chalas enlisted in the Army National Guard during high school and was commissioned as an aviation officer in 2001. She became first in her class at Fort Rucker Army Aviation School and earned over a dozen awards, including the Senior Aviator Badge.
“When I was in flight school, there were over 3,000 pilots that flew Black Hawks,” Chalas said. “Out of those, there were 120 females.” Chalas later went on to become the first Latina National Guard Black Hawk pilot.
On Tuesday, 9 March 2021, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate passed recognized US Army Lieutenant Colonel for her exemplary career.
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Smithsonian Institute
El Caribe
9 March 2021