The Long Blue Line (Winter 2021)

At the same time he rose through the officer ranks,
Wilks became an accomplished Coast Guard
aviator specializing in search and rescue missions.
He qualified in over twenty different kinds of aircraft,
including various fixed-wing and amphibious
aircraft and single and multi-engine helicopters.
Wilks served at several aviation units, including
Coast Guard air stations in Italy, the Philippines,
Hawaii, San Francisco, Massachusetts, Miami
and New York. He received a Federal Aviation
Administration award for a rescue performed out
of Air Station Salem in Massachusetts and an Air
Medal for a severe weather rescue flown out of
Wilks blazed a trail for people
of color in the Service and
helped steer the Coast Guard
toward greater diversity in the
late-twentieth century.
Air Station Barber’s Point in Hawaii. The Sikorsky
Helicopter Corporation twice recognized him
with the Winged-S Helicopter Rescue Award for
daring missions demonstrating skill and courage
in piloting a helicopter.
As a Coast Guard aviation officer, Wilks broke
even more color barriers. He was the Service’s
first minority aviator and its first African American
helicopter pilot. He later became the Coast
Guard’s first minority aviation operations officer
and first air station executive officer and the first
recognized African American in the Service to
achieve the rank of captain. And, in 1979, he
became the first officer of color to command a
Coast Guard air station.
Bobby Wilks achieved great things as an aviator.
However, his greatest contribution to the Coast
Guard stemmed from his skills as a leader and
motivator. Throughout his pioneering career, he
remained an educator at heart, mentoring many
of the next generation of Service leaders, such as
flag officers Erroll Brown and Manson Brown. In
1986, Wilks retired from the Service after a thirtyone
year career.
Photo of Commander Wilks, who
served as operations officer as well
as pilot at Barber’s Point Air Station.
(U.S. Coast Guard Collection)
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2021
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