Caroline Paige: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Transgender British military officer (born 1959)}} |
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{{Infobox military person |
{{Infobox military person |
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| name = Caroline Paige |
| name = Caroline Paige |
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1959}} |
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[[Flight Lieutenant]] '''Caroline Paige''' (born 1959) was the first [[transgender]] officer to serve openly in the [[British Armed Forces|UK Armed Forces]]. Before her transition in 1999,<ref name="electelegraph">{{cite |
[[Flight Lieutenant]] '''Caroline Paige''' (born 1959) was the first [[transgender]] officer to serve openly in the [[British Armed Forces|UK Armed Forces]]. Before her transition in 1999,<ref name="electelegraph">{{cite news |title=RAF navigator has sex swap |first=Michael |last=Paterson |date=14 August 2000 |work=[[The_Daily_Telegraph#Website|The Telegraph]] |location=London UK |url=https://www.pfc.org.uk/node/724 |access-date=16 August 2007 |url-access=subscription |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031004633/https://www.pfc.org.uk/node/724 |archive-date=2010-10-31 |via=[[Press for Change]]}}</ref> she served in the [[Cold War]] intercepting Soviet bomber planes, and was involved in the [[Gulf War]] and [[Bosnian War|Bosnia]] Conflict.<ref name="andrejkoymasky">{{cite web |title=Caroline Paige |editor-first1=Matt |editor-last1=Koymasky |editor-first2=Andrej |editor-last2=Koymasky |date=23 August 2004 |website=AndrejKoymasky.com |url=https://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/biop1/paig1.html |access-date=16 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808111505/https://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/biop1/paig1.html |archive-date=8 August 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She switched to Battlefield Helicopters in 1992 and flew several operational tours post-transition, including, Bosnia, [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraq]] and [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]], before her retirement from the military in November 2014. |
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==Military career== |
==Military career== |
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Paige joined the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in 1980 and after completing Navigator Training at RAF Finningley she was posted to [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|Phantom]] F4s in the Air Defence role at RAF Leuchars. |
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Caroline developed an interest in aviation as a teenager and achieved an RAF Flying Scholarship leading to a Private Pilots Licence when she was 17. She joined the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in 1980 and after completing Navigator Training at RAF Finningley she was posted to [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|Phantom]] F4s in the Air Defence role at RAF Leuchars. Caroline flew 1500 hours on F4s and intercepted 34 Soviet long-range bomber aircraft when on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) during the [[Cold War]], she also completed tours providing Air Defence in the Falkland Islands. In 1989 she was posted to 63 Squadron RAF Chivenor flying Hawk T Mk1A on the Tactical Weapons Unit as an instructor/training officer for navigators undergoing Fast Jet conversion training and introducing student pilots to two-seat crew operations. In 1990 she was deployed with just one hours notice to Saudi Arabia, to help set-up and run a tactical air operations centre following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and in the buildup to the [[Gulf War]].<ref name="andrejkoymasky"/> After completing her tour at Chivenor she accepted a request for fast jet navigators to re-role to Support Helicopters, to provide fast jet experience of operating a pilot/navigator cockpit on tactical operations. |
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In 1998, Paige finally accepted she needed to resolve her lifelong battle with her gender identity and after informing the RAF of her need to transition she was accepted in service as a female officer. Eighteen months later she was publicly 'outed' on the front page of the newspaper ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' (10 August 2000). After a short tour at RAF Innsworth on the Recruiting Policy desk, working on the implementation of ethnic minority recruiting policy, she successfully agreed her return to RAF Benson, to join No 28 (AC) Squadron ready for its reformation as the first Squadron to receive the Merlin HC Mk3 Battlefield Helicopter. Over a five-year period, her work was recognised with two Commander Joint Helicopter Command Commendations for 'Exceptional Service' with a 3rd Commendation from the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force in the Queen's New Year Honours List of 2012. Paige served in the RAF for thirty-five years and remained flying in thirty-four of them, she completed seventeen operational tours. |
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Upon completing helicopter training at RAF Shawbury she was posted to 60 Squadron at RAF Benson flying the [[Westland Wessex]] HC2. The following year Caroline completed a Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course, the beginning of a very active role in the training and preparation of crews for operational tactical flying. In 1995 she joined a UN Anglo-French Rapid Reaction Force (RRFOR) team operating from Kiseljak, Bosnia, where she became responsible for the co-ordination and safe routing of UN helicopter operations within Bosnia. She remained in Bosnia with NATO forces when they took on responsibility following the cease-fire. |
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In 1997 Caroline helped set up the newly created Rotary Wing Operational Evaluation and Training Unit (RWOETU) at RAF Benson where she was responsible for the initial operational development and introduction of the new [[AgustaWestland AW101|AW101]] Merlin HC Mk3 helicopter into RAF service. In 1998 Caroline finally accepted she needed to resolve her lifelong battle with her gender identity and after informing the RAF of her need to transition she was accepted in service as a female officer. Eighteen months later she was publicly 'outed' on the front page of [[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]] newspaper (10 August 2000). After a short tour at RAF Innsworth on the Recruiting Policy desk, working on the implementation of ethnic minority recruiting policy, she successfully agreed her return to RAF Benson, to join No 28 (AC) Squadron ready for its reformation as the first Squadron to receive the Merlin HC Mk3 Battlefield Helicopter. On completion of No.1 Merlin Operational Conversion Course Caroline worked to prepare and develop crew tactical readiness for the Squadron's deployment to Bosnia in 2003, in support of [[SFOR]], and for Iraq in 2005. This experience saw her returning to RWOETU where she worked hard to evolve the aircraft platform protection systems and tactical training for crews, helping to improve survivability for crews and troops flying in hostile environments. Over a five-year period this work was recognised with two Commander Joint Helicopter Command Commendations for 'Exceptional Service' with a 3rd Commendation from the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force in the Queen's New Year Honours List of 2012. During this period Caroline also completed a further three tours in Iraq, operating Merlin helicopters with 1419 Flt, and formed part of an Operational Evaluation team deploying to Afghanistan for the first Merlin deployment in 2009 and again in 2010. In 2011 she returned to 28 (AC) Sqn and completed a further two tours flying in Afghanistan. In her final two years of service she also helped RWOETU with the development and running of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Helicopter Tactics Course, instructed crews on the first two of these courses and advised EDA Project teams on future platform protection requirements for rotary wing aircraft. Her final role was to lead an EDA Mentor Team to Portugal in 2014 to train, evaluate and advise European helicopter crews participating in EXERCISE HOTBLADE 14, a multinational flying exercise involving military helicopters from six European nations. Caroline served in the RAF for thirty-five years and remained flying in thirty-four of them, she completed seventeen operational tours. |
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==Transitioning gender in the military== |
==Transitioning gender in the military== |
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Following her transition in early 1999 |
Following her transition in early 1999, Paige was influential in promoting transgender equality and inclusion in the UK Armed Forces. Her 2000 public 'outing' by The Sun newspaper led to much criticism of the decision to allow her to remain in the military. Critical voices declared transgender people would be a liability, especially if they were allowed to serve with front-line forces. She determined to help make the military a more inclusive environment for those following in her footsteps. She became an Equality and Diversity Adviser for the military in 2000, trained as a Mentor, became a member of the RAF [[LGBT]] Forum and Proud2Serve support groups, and participated as a key note speaker at several military conferences and training events throughout the UK. Her role in the UK Armed Forces earned her a Permanent-Under-Secretary, [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], Peoples Award in 2011. |
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In 2014, Paige advised the [[Palm Center]], San Francisco State University, regarding a national commission offering implementation guidance seeking the inclusion of openly serving transgender personnel in the US military. On 10 October 2014, Paige was interviewed on ''[[The World (radio program)|The World]]'' radio program.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The RAF's first openly transgender officer says competence trumps prejudice with her fellow soldiers |last=Goren |first=Jennifer |date=2014-10-21 |work=[[The World (radio program)|The World]] |language=en |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2014-10-21/rafs-first-openly-transgender-officer-says-competence-trumps-prejudice-her-fellow |access-date=2022-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927115923/https://theworld.org/stories/2014-10-21/rafs-first-openly-transgender-officer-says-competence-trumps-prejudice-her-fellow |archive-date=2022-09-27 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 13 October, Paige joined former and active duty transgender military personnel from other nations, participating as panel members at a conference held in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored by the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] and the Palm Center.<ref>{{cite news |title='Don't Ask, Don't Tell' lives on for transgender troops |first=Emma |last=Margolin |date=2014-10-14 |work=[[MSNBC]] |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dont-ask-dont-tell-lives-transgender-troops-msna440341 |access-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130010226/https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dont-ask-dont-tell-lives-transgender-troops-msna440341 |archive-date=2023-01-30 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 October, she and a fellow panel member, former [[United States Navy|US Navy]] Petty Officer Landon Wilson, co-authored an [[Op-ed|op-ed piece]] for [[CNN]], discussing how both were deployed to Afghanistan, both received commendations for that service, but Wilson's promotion and commendation was accompanied by his discharge papers for being transgender.<ref name=CNN>{{Cite news |title=Transgender military members: One accepted, one not |last1=Paige |first1=Caroline |last2=Wilson |first2=Landon |date=2015-07-13 |orig-date=2014-10-23 |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/opinion/paige-wilson-transgender-troops-military/index.html |access-date=2022-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608011748/https://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/opinion/paige-wilson-transgender-troops-military/index.html |archive-date=2015-06-08 |url-status=live |quote=''[note that the archived link, from five weeks prior to the article's update, has active duty photos of both Paige and Wilson]''}}</ref> |
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Caroline quickly saw the benefit of her open and honest approach as attitudes became more positive and understanding grew into support. Trailblazing in the military as a trans woman provided many difficult challenges but the unconditional support and friendship of so many of her colleagues, including those from all three services who had never met or worked with her directly, was a major factor in making the UK military the permissive and inclusive workplace it became, for her, for transgender individuals following, for people with other diverse challenges, for anyone. |
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Paige has enrolled with [[Stonewall (charity)|Stonewall]] on their School Role Models Programme where she contributes her story to support, educate and inspire people and to illustrate the positive values of respect, diversity and inclusion. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]] |
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]] |
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[[Category:Transgender |
[[Category:Transgender military personnel]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:English transgender women]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:20th-century English LGBT people]] |
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[[Category:21st-century English LGBT people]] |
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[[Category:Transgender pilots]] |
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Latest revision as of 03:53, 2 March 2024
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Caroline Paige | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) Wallasey |
| Allegiance |  Vereinigtes Königreich |
| Service/ |  Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War |
Flight Lieutenant Caroline Paige (born 1959) was the first transgender officer to serve openly in the UK Armed Forces. Before her transition in 1999,[1] she served in the Cold War intercepting Soviet bomber planes, and was involved in the Gulf War and Bosnia Conflict.[2] She switched to Battlefield Helicopters in 1992 and flew several operational tours post-transition, including, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, before her retirement from the military in November 2014.
Military career
[edit]Paige joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1980 and after completing Navigator Training at RAF Finningley she was posted to Phantom F4s in the Air Defence role at RAF Leuchars.
In 1998, Paige finally accepted she needed to resolve her lifelong battle with her gender identity and after informing the RAF of her need to transition she was accepted in service as a female officer. Eighteen months later she was publicly 'outed' on the front page of the newspaper The Sun (10 August 2000). After a short tour at RAF Innsworth on the Recruiting Policy desk, working on the implementation of ethnic minority recruiting policy, she successfully agreed her return to RAF Benson, to join No 28 (AC) Squadron ready for its reformation as the first Squadron to receive the Merlin HC Mk3 Battlefield Helicopter. Over a five-year period, her work was recognised with two Commander Joint Helicopter Command Commendations for 'Exceptional Service' with a 3rd Commendation from the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force in the Queen's New Year Honours List of 2012. Paige served in the RAF for thirty-five years and remained flying in thirty-four of them, she completed seventeen operational tours.
Transitioning gender in the military
[edit]Following her transition in early 1999, Paige was influential in promoting transgender equality and inclusion in the UK Armed Forces. Her 2000 public 'outing' by The Sun newspaper led to much criticism of the decision to allow her to remain in the military. Critical voices declared transgender people would be a liability, especially if they were allowed to serve with front-line forces. She determined to help make the military a more inclusive environment for those following in her footsteps. She became an Equality and Diversity Adviser for the military in 2000, trained as a Mentor, became a member of the RAF LGBT Forum and Proud2Serve support groups, and participated as a key note speaker at several military conferences and training events throughout the UK. Her role in the UK Armed Forces earned her a Permanent-Under-Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Peoples Award in 2011.
In 2014, Paige advised the Palm Center, San Francisco State University, regarding a national commission offering implementation guidance seeking the inclusion of openly serving transgender personnel in the US military. On 10 October 2014, Paige was interviewed on The World radio program.[3] On 13 October, Paige joined former and active duty transgender military personnel from other nations, participating as panel members at a conference held in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Palm Center.[4] On 23 October, she and a fellow panel member, former US Navy Petty Officer Landon Wilson, co-authored an op-ed piece for CNN, discussing how both were deployed to Afghanistan, both received commendations for that service, but Wilson's promotion and commendation was accompanied by his discharge papers for being transgender.[5]
Paige has enrolled with Stonewall on their School Role Models Programme where she contributes her story to support, educate and inspire people and to illustrate the positive values of respect, diversity and inclusion.
References
[edit]- ^ Paterson, Michael (14 August 2000). "RAF navigator has sex swap". The Telegraph. London UK. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2007 – via Press for Change.
- ^ Koymasky, Matt; Koymasky, Andrej, eds. (23 August 2004). "Caroline Paige". AndrejKoymasky.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
- ^ Goren, Jennifer (21 October 2014). "The RAF's first openly transgender officer says competence trumps prejudice with her fellow soldiers". The World. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Margolin, Emma (14 October 2014). "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' lives on for transgender troops". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Paige, Caroline; Wilson, Landon (13 July 2015) [2014-10-23]. "Transgender military members: One accepted, one not". CNN. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
[note that the archived link, from five weeks prior to the article's update, has active duty photos of both Paige and Wilson]