US Air Force (USAF) AIRMAN (AMN) Vanessa Dobos, assigned to the 58th Training Squadron (TRS), Kirkland Air Force Base (AFB) New Mexico (MN), look out the crew door of a USAF HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, equipped with a 7.62mm M134 Minigun machine gun. AMN Dobos will be the first female aerial gunner in the USAF when she graduates from the technical school in a few weeks. As gunner and member of a search and rescue crew, she will perform a combat duty that was formerly closed to women in the Air Force. Dobbs said she follows the philosophy an instructor told her, "A gunner's a gunner, don't think youre special because you're a female." Her first duty station will be Nellis AFB, Nevada (NV)