One of the novel’s core symbols is Jolene’s Black Hawk helicopter, which represents her strength and ability to overcome difficult situations. When Jolene’s parents died, she entered the military as a means of survival. She becomes a helicopter pilot and finds true freedom in the air. This freedom helps Jolene change from a timid girl to a strong and independent woman. Jolene’s accomplishment as a pilot deepens when Michael describes how difficult it was for his wife to gain respect and recognition as a female pilot. He says:

I remember all your boot camp stories and your flight school stories. And how about all those times men climbed into your Black Hawk, saw your ponytail, and got out, saying they wouldn’t fly with a woman. You told me you made them eat their words. You said you were tough (264).

Thus, Jolene turns to her helicopter in her greatest time of need, and that helicopter symbolically strengthens her and helps her become a woman who overcomes great adversity.

As Jolene endures deployment in Iraq, Jolene describes her Black Hawk as her “home away from home. It has so much equipment, the whole world is at my fingertips. Whenever I look at the GPS, I think of [family] and home and I count the days till I’m back” (208).