Heidi Fleming

Captain, U.S. Navy, Retired

“I love leading people. I’m a people person. Working with others and making the mission happen is incredibly rewarding.”

WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Director Government Affairs Navy and Marine Corps Programs with Lockheed Martin.

  • First female Commanding Officer of NAS Patuxent River.

  • First female Commanding Officer VXS-1.

  • Former Special Assistant for OSD Legislative Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Fleming grew up around naval aviation, her father was a Marine aviator and her brother was an engineer. Her family helped shape her early interests in the military and encouraged her to pursue a career in the STEM and service fields. She always had an inquisitive mind, Fleming remembers taking apart a race car set her brother gave her in order to understand how the car worked. She always enjoyed Math and Science in school and made the decision to pursue aviation during her time at the Naval Academy.

She enjoyed the closely knit community offered by NAS Pax River and uses her current position as a Lockheed Martin employee to reach out to young women on the base and serve as a mentor, helping them to achieve positions of leadership.

OBJECTS OF SIGNIFICANCE

  • NAS Patuxent River Departure Chart which was used by Captain Heidi Fleming during her time with the VXS-1 squadron. Chart shows P-3 navigator markings and was a safety measure that allowed Fleming to visually understand where she was flying.

  • Dave Clark headset which belonged to Commander (CDR) Heidi Fleming. Fleming wore this headset while flying P-3 and C-12 aircraft.

  • Flight suit issued to CO Heidi Fleming during her time at NAS Patuxent River. Looking closely you can see Fleming’s Commanding Officer NAS Patuxent River name tag, the NAS Patuxent River patch (right chest), and Beech UC-12 Huron NAS Patuxent River patch (upper right arm).