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Staff Sergeant Tiana Trent is an anti-air gunner who made history: she’s the first African-American woman to qualify as a master gunner on the Avenger, a highly mobile anti-aircraft platform.

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Currently stationed in Germany as part of the U.S. Army’s 10th Army Air and Missile Defence Command, Staff Sergeant Tiana Trent is an anti-air gunner who made history: she’s the first African-American woman to qualify as a master gunner on the Avenger, a highly mobile anti-aircraft platform. Master gunners serve as the subject matter experts on their weapons system, and they advise senior leaders on how best to use them. In this video, SSgt Trent reflects on her accomplishment and gives tips to future generations of soldiers.

Footage includes shots of SSgt Trent in Germany, and during Exercise Tobruq Arrows 20 in Latvia. COVID-19 countermeasures were observed during filming, including physical distancing and indoors/outdoors masking.

—SOUNDBITE—(English) Staff Sergeant Tiana Trent, US Army


“I am the first female African-American Avenger master gunner. A master gunner is an advisor to the command team, basically the subject matter expert of the Avenger weapons system. That accomplishment, to me, means the world.

TEXT ON SCREEN
US ARMY STAFF SERGEANT TIANA TRENT IS AN AVENGER ANTI-AIR GUNNER
SHE WAS STATIONED IN GERMANY

—SOUNDBITE—(English) Staff Sergeant Tiana Trent, US Army

“I joined the army because my mother did it and I wanted to be like her.

My mother is the most outgoing, humble, hardest-working woman on this earth. She didn’t want me to follow her footsteps, but I still chose this path.

I went to Latvia for Tobruq Arrows 2020, and it was an amazing experience to deal with the Latvians, actually seeing their forces out there with us, engaged and doing the same training exercises as us.

As air defence, it’s our job to protect the ground forces and keep the skies clear from anything hostile.

What I would say to other African-American women, or of any denomination, to never quit. Never let no be an answer. Never accept defeat.”