Tara Cook was born on March AFB in Riverside, California.  When Tara was three years old, her family moved to the Philadelphia suburbs where she lived until she went to college.   She graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics.

After graduation, Tara attended Navy Flight training and earned her Naval Aviator wings in early 1994.  By the time Tara finished flight school, the combat exclusion rules had been repealed, and she had the opportunity to become one of the first women to deploy on an aircraft carrier as part of Carrier Air Wing Eleven. She completed one partial and one full carrier deployment flying the ES-3A Shadow and the S-3B Viking.  After sea duty, Tara returned to Navy jet school as an Advanced Strike flight instructor flying the TA-4J.  After leaving active duty in 2001, she joined the Navy Reserve to fly the C-9B on cargo and personnel transport missions around the globe and as a check airman. Tara has over 250 carrier landings, and has held ground jobs in both the operations and maintenance departments.  These jobs involved the leadership and career development of over 100 sailors and managing an annual budget in excess of $6.5 million.  Tara currently hold the rank of Commander and have screened for squadron command.

Wfhen Tara left active duty in 2001, she was employed as a pilot for American Airlines where she trained on the B-757/767.  After 9/11, she was furloughed effective October 1, 2001 and remains furloughed to this day.  In 2005, she came to work at Continental Airlines where she initially flew the B-737 before moving to the B-777 early this year.  

Tara has held volunteer positions on the CALALPA Membership and SPSC Committees.  Currently, Tara is a key member of the Furlough Assistance Committee working to support our union brothers and sisters facing furlough.

Tara lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.