Former Army helicopter pilot Amber Smith, who learned to fly on the family farm near White Salmon, will discuss her combat experiences Friday at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
The free presentation is at 7 p.m. at the national park’s Visitor Center, 1501 E. Evergreen Blvd.
Smith served in the U.S. Army as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot-in-command and air mission commander in the 101st Airborne Division from 2003 to 2010. Smith deployed twice — to Iraq in 2005 and then to eastern Afghanistan in 2008.
Smith is the author of the recently released book “Danger Close: My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Smith will sign copies of her book, which will be available for sale in the Visitor Center Bookstore.
Knowing that she wanted to fly, Smith enlisted in 2003 in the Army — the only service to guarantee her a flying slot, she told a U.S. military online publication in 2008.
“Women were very rare in the Kiowa Warrior community. I worked very hard to do my job and contribute to the mission. As soon as they realized that, I was part of the team,” she said in a news release from Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
As a veteran with experience in two theaters of war, Smith said that is “important that the American people hear the perspective of people who have been on the operational side of national security.”
Smith comes from a long line of military service, and both of her parents are pilots. Her two sisters are also military pilots, and Smith’s deployment in Afghanistan overlapped with her sister Kelly Smith’s service there as an Air Force C-130 pilot.
The family’s keen interest in Pearson Air Museum led them to contact museum director Bob Cromwell about showcasing Smith’s book, said Cromwell, acting chief ranger at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
“We are thrilled to be hosting this book signing, and highlighting modern Army aviation on today’s battlefields. It connects with the legacy of some of the earliest roots of Army Air Corps aviation at Pearson Field,” Cromwell said in the news release.
Smith is a regular guest on national TV networks analyzing national security, military operations and foreign policy. Her articles have been published in Forbes, Washington Examiner and Aviation Week.
