Beaufort native will help tell story of iconic Blue Angels aviation team. She’s a first
A Beaufort native is humbled after being named as the first female Marine spokesperson for the famed Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team of fighter jet pilots that performs breathtaking aerial displays across the country.
The Blue Angels over the weekend announced the selection of seven new officers who will join the iconic squadron in 2026 including three F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots; a C-130J Super Hercules pilot; an assistant maintenance officer; a supply officer — and a homegrown public affairs officer whose job will be telling the story of the team as it travels the nation and the world.
The new Blue Angels public affairs officer is 1st Lt. Danielle Cribb, who hails from Beaufort and graduated in 2021 from the Citadel, the military college in Charleston. Cribb serves as the public affairs officer at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the air base located just northwest of Beaufort.
Cribb, 32, grew up on Lady’s Island and attended Coosa Elementary, Lady’s Island Middle School and Beaufort High School.
She is the first female Marine public affairs officer to be chosen for the role representing the Blue Angels. She will be responsible for not only helping to tell the story of the precision of the Blue Angels aviators in the sky but also the heart and dedication behind the team.
“I’m obviously super humbled,” Cribb told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet Tuesday.
But the job, she added, is not about her but rather honoring the legacy of the Blue Angels and representing the U.S. Marines and the Navy.
Cribb hopes that her selection is a reminder to young girls everywhere, especially those who grew up in small towns, that there is no limit to what they can accomplish if they work hard and stay grounded.
The other Blue Angels officer selections are Lt. Ronny Hafeza of Redondo Beach, Calif., Lt. Chris Houben, Geneva, Ill., and Lt. Cam Schneider, Thousand Oaks, Calif., all Super Hornet pilots; Capt. Olivia Bair, Findlay Ohio, a C-130 pilot; maintenance officer Jhulem Edejer of Olongapo City, Philippines; and Lt. Garrett Wiedle of Fredericksburg, Va., the supply officer.
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The Blue Angels, which was formed in 1946, is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the air show season. It’s known for its hair-raising aerial displays that are seen by an estimated 11 million spectators a year, including each April at MCAS Beaufort.
The Blue Angels’ enlisted maintenance and support team is comprised of about 100 sailors and Marines with alternating crews of about 45 team members traveling to each show site.
A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. Each year the team typically selects three tactical (fighter or fighter/attack) jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130J pilot to relieve departing members. Officers typically serve two or three years.
Cribb isn’t the first officer from Beaufort to serve with the Blue Angels.
Beaufort native and Super Hornet pilot Major Brandon Wilkins, the son of a career Marine officer and naval aviator, joined the Blue Angels in September 2024.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM.
