Spokane native works as team support for Navy F/A-18s in Super Bowl flyover

As Navy aircraft do a pregame flyover for Super Bowl LVII Sunday, they can claim a little Spokane support.

Spokane-raised Petty Officer 1st Class Ashley Clifford is among the crew maintaining the aircraft for Strike Fighter Squadron 122, a fleet replacement squadron for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in Lemoore, California. The aircraft are depicted in the recent “Top Gun: Maverick” movie.

The flyover is set to have two F/A-18s and one F-35 from Strike Fighter Squadron 147, and an EA-18G from Electronic Attack Squadron 129, based on Whidbey Island, Washington.

Clifford, who joined the Navy 15 years ago, graduated from Rogers High School in 2006.

“I joined the Navy for tuition assistance for college, and I decided to stay in after starting a family,” Clifford said in a Navy news release.

She also described in a military blog that growing up in Spokane had an impact.

“I learned to be humble and how to work hard even when you think no one is watching,” she said.

Clifford’s title is aviation machinist’s mate. The Navy describes that role as aircraft engine mechanics, doing “the important job of maintaining and preparing aircraft for flight by inspecting, repairing and overhauling aircraft engines and propellers.”

Clifford continues to train and perform missions .

“My favorite part of my job is meeting new people and seeing places I would never get to see if I had not joined the Navy,” Clifford said. “The Navy has given me the chance to provide for my children and give them a life that my husband and I never had.”