Naval Flight Officer Dolan Receives Wings of Gold

LTJG Robert T. Dolan of Winthrop, a 2017 graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., has recently received his “Wings of Gold” as a Naval Flight Officer.

Robert is the son of Thomas and Carol Dolan of 152 Bartlett Road.

Robert has been assigned to join the VFA-106 Gladiators based at NAS Oceana in Norfolk, Va. The Gladiators are a strike fighter squadron flying the FA-18F Super Hornets.

The Winging ceremony took place on July 26, 2017 at NAS Pensacola which is nicknamed “The cradle of Naval Aviation”. NAS Pensacola was established in 1913 and every Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aviator must train there to earn their Wings before entering the fleet. 

Pensacola is also home base for the Navy’s Blue Angels. The ceremony was attended by Rob’s parents, as well as his siblings Meg and Jay Dolan, his aunt and uncle Maureen and Rich Harris and his girlfriend Tayla Normandie. The post event gathering took place at the Blue Angels Officers Club.

Special appreciation is given to Rear Admiral Craig Clapperton, former CO of the USS Roosevelt carrier vessel and current Deputy Director of U.S. Cyber Command in Washington for flying in as the guest speaker and to Captain Scott Janik, Commander of NAS Pensacola’s Air Wing Six for presiding over the ceremony.

Robert follows in the footsteps of his great uncle Thomas Dawson who received his Wings of Gold in Pensacola in 1944 during World War II.

Before reporting to NAS Oceana Robert must complete the Navy’s SERE training program level C. The SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) program trains the Navy’s advanced fighters and special ops personnel to deal with all possible situations. Coincidentally Roberts Naval Academy roommate’s great Uncle, General Curtis LeMay, is credited with creating the U.S. SERE training program in 1943.

LTJG Dolan, congratulations on this accomplishment. The community thanks you and all service members for serving our country.