Lt Cmdr. Lyndsay P. Evans, 31, and Lt. Serena N. Wileman, also 31, died after their EA-18G Growler fighter jet crashed – just after the pair returned home from Yemen.
The jet went down east of Mount Rainier around 3:30pm local time on October 15 as the ‘trailblazing aviators’ set off for a routine training flight.
Evans and Wileman, who ‘often flew together’ and developed a relationship that ‘reached well beyond the cockpit’, had recently returned from a nine-month deployment with Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, also known as ‘Zappers’.
The beloved servicewomen were declared dead on Sunday after an aerial search crew located the plane wreckage about 6,000 feet in a remote wooded area
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island said that the two stellar fighters were ‘involved in the most dynamic combat action in defense of the strike group and freedom of navigation since World War II.’
The pair had been operating for the US Navy in the Red Sea until just a few weeks ago
The agency has remembered both women as ‘role models’ who ‘contributed to the Navy’s mission defending U.S. and Coalition forces while keeping the seas open and free with precision and purpose.’
‘These role models cemented legacies by making history that will inspire future generations of Naval officers and aviators,’ NAS Whidbey Island added.
Evans, also known by her Navy callsign ‘Miley’, attended the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, before she was ‘commissioned through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC),’ according to NAS Whidbey Island.
She soon earned her ‘Wings of Gold’ as a Naval Flight Officer from Havel Air Station in Pensacola.
‘As an EA-18G Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and veteran of two sea tours, she earned the respect of the entire Growler community for her tactical expertise, mentorship to those of all ranks and communities, and ability to bring out the best in everyone around her,’ the agency said.
In 2023, Evans participated in the all-female Super Bowl flyover, which marked 50 years of women flying in the Navy.
Evans also amounted to other accolades, including finishing a ‘challenging 12-week HAVOC graduate-level course at NAS Fallon (the TOPGUN of the Growler community)’, being recognized as the FY2024 Growler Tactics Instructor of the Year, and becoming a Growler Tactics Instructor, the agency shared.
Her latest achievement took place over the past year when she ‘coordinated and executed multiple combat strikes into Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen,’ making her one of few women to do
She was awarded two Single Action Air Medals for her role during strikes on January 12 and 22, 2024, along with three Strike Flight Air Medals for her participation in other missions flown during December 21, 2023 and March 29, 2024.
Wileman, also known by her Navy callsign, ‘Doug’, from California, has been remembered as ‘an energetic, vocal, and positive influence in VAQ-130,’ the agency said.
She was a ‘respected qualified Landing Signal Officer (LSO), who made sure that her fellow aviators were ‘safely recovered aboard the ship.’
NAS Whidbey Island highlighted Wileman’s ‘her calm and collected demeanor under pressure,’ leading her to obtain three Strike Flight Air Medals for her time in combat operations between December 17, 2023 and April 5, 2024.
‘She always brought a sense of calm, in the good times and bad, whether it was through a joke, a game of cribbage, or a giant bear hug for a Sailor in need of one.’
Both women were known to be extremely close to their families, and were both welcomed home by their loved ones in July.
Meanwhile, Wileman met her husband Brandon, also a Naval Aviator, during her time at flight school.
Both Evans and Wileman also bonded over their love of dogs, as they were both ‘proud dog moms’ to their beloved pups, Nyx and Riley.
Capt. Marvin Scott, Commander of CVW-3, shared his condolences in the wake of losing Evans and Wileman, saying both of them ‘will absolutely be missed.’
‘I have personally flown with both of these Great Americans in both training and dynamic combat operations, and they always performed professionally and precisely,’ Scott said.
‘As true leaders in the Growler community, VAQ-130, and across my Air Wing, their contributions cannot be overstated; I could not be more proud to have served with each of them
‘Every member of the CVW-3 Battle Axe Team is heartbroken at the loss of these exceptional warriors; Dug and Miley truly represent the best that Naval Aviation has to offer, and they will absolutely be missed.’
