Fly Girl

The Navy's top brass might object to my posing," U.S. Navy Lieutenant Frederica Spilman said recently, "but many people will support my decision. There are two sides to every story." The bright 28-year-old Florida resident (dubbed "the Terminator" by her Navy pals because of the time she "harshly" confronted a colleague) has never shied from breaking new ground. Adding to an accomplished résumé that includes graduating as class valedictorian of California's Sunny Hills High School, competing on the U.S. fencing team at the World University Games and graduating with merit from Annapolis, Frederica became the first female naval flight officer assigned to fly in an ES-3A Shadow. She is also the first to shed her uniform for Playboy. A controversial move, sure. But Frederica has ideological reasons for posing. "In the Navy, freedom is limited. You can't do whatever you want. It's contradictory for a military that fights for constitutional rights to put restrictions on its members." Being assertive has been Frederica's way since she was five, the age she first remembers flying in an airplane. "I told my grandma I loved flying, and she said, 'Do you want to be a flight attendant when you grow up?' I said, 'No, I'd rather be a pilot."' The road to becoming a naval flight officer was a formidable one ("Many guys didn't think women should be there. They didn't accept me at first. I really had to prove myself"), but Frederica triumphed and is ready to tackle her next mission. "When I leave the Navy, I'm going to veterinary school," she says. "I love animals and want to take care of them." Nothing can stop her now.