Caroline Fawkes - Trailblazer Flying High

There are few people with the accomplishments of Caroline F. Fawkes.

As the current Supervisor of Elections, she is charged with the enormous responsibility of administering and regulating the election laws of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is subject to the direction, control, and supervision of the Boards of Elections. She took over this position in August of 2013, recently celebrating her eleventh year anniversary, after spending thirty-two years in the U.S. military.

Over the course of her military career, Colonel (COL) Fawkes has received a plethora of awards, medals and letters of commendation. Her highest awards are the Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal signed by President Barack Obama and received in Guantanamo Bay,

Cuba.

But this only tells part of the story of this courageous, trailblazing woman. Her record of ‘firsts’ is a stunning succession of accomplishments that presents Mrs. Fawkes as one of the important figures of her day in both the U.S. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Upon graduation from St. Croix Central High School in 1979, Mrs. Fawkes joined the Virgin Islands National Guard in the Signal Field, as a Teletype Operator.

In 1982, she attended the first Officer Candidate School held in the USVI. She graduated as a Transportation Officer. 

In 1982-1983, she was the First Female Aide-de-Camp to a General Officer selected within the V.I. National Guard.

In 1986, in pursuit of her aspiration to become an Aviator, Caroline Fawkes was the First Female Virgin Islander to become a pilot and serve in the Virgin Islands National Guard, certified in Helicopter and Airplane. In doing so, she was the tenth African American female to attend and graduate from flight school. But it wasn’t easy. Caroline had to face many challenges which she had to overcome. She plans to detail this part of her personal story in her upcoming Memoir, to be published in the near future.

From 1986-2002, she was the only female State Army Aviation Officer within the National Guard comprising the 51 states and 3 Territories.  

From 1992-2002, Caroline Fawkes was the only female within the Armed Forces to pilot the C-23B Sherpa Aircraft. 

In 1997, she obtained her Airline Transport Pilot License.

In 2001, Mrs. Fawkes, obtained the Master Aviator Wings for over 16 years and 4,000 Accident Free flight hours.

In her last two assignments, she served as Director of Joint Visitors Bureau and Director of Plans, Operations for the Joint Task Force in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

In her role as Supervisor of the Elections System of the USVI, Mrs. Fawkes has championed numerous progressive and innovative upgrades, such as Early Voting in 2014, and the establishment of Voting Centers in 2020.

COL Fawkes’ many achievements were lauded by the 19th Legislature of the Virgin Islands through the establishment of a scholarship in her name for individuals interested in pursuing an aviation degree. 

In July 2023, Caroline Fawkes was voted by the Virgin Islands community as a Virgin Islands Living Legend in commemoration of the 175th Emancipation Celebration. 

In October 2023, the Virgin Islands National Guard celebrated 50 years and honored Colonel Fawkes as one of its honorees.

What more is there to say about a woman who has fought the good fight, stayed the course, and is still flying high. We salute you, Colonel Caroline F. Fawkes.