Cheryl A. Stearns

In 1979 she became the first woman to participate in an international military parachuting competition. Not only did Cheryl compete, but she won the accuracy competition. She continues to participate in and win parachuting competitions, and has won 65 national and world women’s competitions. Additionally, she has held the most parachute jumps in a 24-hour period by a woman; 352, or on average 1 every 4 minutes. In addition to her parachuting career, Cheryl is a pilot for U.S. Airways. She flies as a First Officer in the Boeing 757 and 767. Cheryl has received numerous awards and honors during her aviation career. These include Skydiver of the Year for 1995, Citizen of the Year, 1995 from the Raeford, NC Kiwanis Club, and the highest award in aero sports, the Diplome Leonardo da Vinci in 1990. The U.S. Army has awarded her the Meritorious Service Medal 4 times, the Army Commendation Medal 6 times and the Army Achievement Medal 2 times.