Two USVI Women Excelling as Aviators in Coast Guard

Aug. 9—Two young Virgin Islands women are swiftly climbing the career ladder at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Aviators Ronaqua A. Russell of St. Thomas and Rebekah A. Seifer of St. Croix were promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Coast Guard during a recent ceremony in Miami, Fla., according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

Seifer and Russell are both U.S. Coast Guard Academy classmates and friends and they are assigned to Coast Guard Air Stations Washington D.C. and Air Station Miami, Fla., respectively.

Russell, the daughter of Aquanette Chinnery and former Virgin Islands Senator Ronald Russell, graduated from the academy in 2012 with a bachelor of science degree in operations research and computer analysis. She is also a graduate of the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas, as well as the New Mexico Military Institute.

Russell was recognized by the V.I. Legislature for her achievements as a pilot and for becoming the first African-American woman Coast Guard aviator to earn the Air Medal while flying missions during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Her next assignment will be as a flight instructor at Naval Flight School Advanced Training Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Seifer, whose mother is Debbie Cestaro-Seifer, graduated from the academy in 2012 with a bachelor of science degree in marine and environmental science, and she is a 2008 graduate of then Country Day School on St. Croix. Her next assignment is at Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.

During the ceremony, Seifer said it truly took a village in the Virgin Islands for to help her achieve her goals and recognized her mother for her sacrifice and support, her shipmates in uniform and mentors, according to the news release.

One of her mentors, Alvin Dalmida Jr., a retired Coast Guard veteran from the Virgin Islands, attended the ceremony.

"I could only attend one promotion, but I am significantly proud of Rebekah and Ronaqua. They are among trailblazers who are voluntarily serving in the military. They are also humanitarians continually proving their love of their hometown and diligence in giving back at every opportunity to mentor those who are seeking opportunities in disadvantaged communities," Dalmida said

While in Washington D.C., Seifer commanded a state-of-the-art, high-performance aircraft, designated CG-102, at Coast Guard Air Station Washington, D.C., where it was put into service flying global missions in support of the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard executive leadership, according to the Coast Guard.

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