{{short description|United States Coast Guard officer}} {{Use American English|date=March 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox military person |name=Jeanine McIntosh-Menze |birth_date= |death_date= |birth_place=Kingston, Jamaica |death_place= |image=McIntoshJ.jpg |caption=Coast Guard LCDR Jeanine McIntosh (Lt. JG at the time of the photo) |nickname= |allegiance= |service_years=2003 - present |rank=Commander |commands= |unit= |battles= |awards= |other_work= }} '''Jeanine McIntosh Menze''' is a United States Coast Guard officer. She holds the distinction of becoming the first black female in the U.S. Coast Guard to earn the Coast Guard Aviation designation.<ref name="USCG">{{cite web|url=http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/McIntosh_Menze_Jeanine.asp|title=Jeanine McIntosh-Menze, USCG|work=Black Coast Guard Personnel (www.uscg.mil)|accessdate=2009-01-20}}</ref>
At the time of her graduation, she was the first black female aviator in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.<ref name="USCG" />
==Early life and education== McIntosh was born in Kingston, Jamaica.<ref name="JIS">{{cite web|url=http://www.jis.gov.jm/foreign_affairs/html/20050628T100000-0500_6137_JIS_JAMAICAN_FIRST__BLACK_FEMALE_AVIATOR_IN_U_S__COAST_GUARD.asp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110612174556/http://www.jis.gov.jm/foreign_affairs/html/20050628T100000-0500_6137_JIS_JAMAICAN_FIRST__BLACK_FEMALE_AVIATOR_IN_U_S__COAST_GUARD.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-12 |title=Jamaican First Black Female Aviator in U.S. Coast Guard |date=2005-06-29 |accessdate=2009-01-20 |publisher=Jamaica Information Service }}</ref> After graduating from Florida International University in 2001, she decided to pursue her dream of flying, taking flying lessons at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines (Broward County, Florida).<ref name="JIS" />
Menzie attended Vaz Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica.<ref name="JIS" /> Her family moved to Canada before relocating to South Florida, where she graduated from Miami Killian High School in May 1997 and Florida International University in May 2001 with an international business degree.<ref name="JIS" /> She also served as a flight instructor at Opa-locka Airport in Opa-locka, Florida.<ref name="JIS" />
==Career== Menze joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 2003 after graduation from the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School.
She began Coast Guard aviation training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas in January 2005. She earned her aviator wings on June 24, 2005 and was assigned to fly HC-130 Hercules aircraft out of Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii.<ref name="USCG" />
After graduation she served as a pilot of the HC-130 Hercules airplanes and flew rescue missions for the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
As of 2020, Menze holds the rank of Commander.<ref name="USCG201004">{{cite web|url=http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/04/guardian-of-the-week-ltjg-lashanda-holmes/|title=Guardian of the Week: LTjg La'Shanda Holmes|last=Lagan|first=Christopher|date=April 23, 2010|publisher=United States Coast Guard|accessdate=2 May 2010|quote=Lt. Jeanine Menze, the first African American female aviator in U.S. Coast Guard history pins a set of aviator wings on Lt. j.g. La’Shanda Holmes|archive-date=2 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502073310/http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/04/guardian-of-the-week-ltjg-lashanda-holmes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/McIntosh_Menze_Jeanine.asp www.uscg.mil/history/people/McIntosh_Menze_Jeanine.asp] - U.S. Coast Guard photo coverage of LTJG McIntosh *[http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20120329/NJNEWS/303290043/Pilot-visits-with-Franklin-kids Pilot visits with Franklin kids]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menze, Jeanine}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Jamaican emigrants to the United States Category:Military personnel from Kingston, Jamaica Category:African-American female military personnel Category:United States Coast Guard Aviation Category:United States Coast Guard officers Category:Female United States Coast Guard personnel Category:United States Naval Aviators Category:Florida International University people Category:African-American United States Coast Guard personnel Category:African-American women aviators Category:American women aviators Category:African-American aviators Category:Women United States Naval Aviators Category:21st-century African-American military personnel Category:21st-century African-American women