Women's History Month: 'Eyes to the stars'

Photo By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala | Lt. Col Debra Lee, 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Attack Squadron commander, flies an MQ-1 Predator, Feb. 13. The entire Predator system is made up of the ground-control system, a satellite link, personnel and the aircraft. Lee is deployed from Creech Air Force Base, Nev. and is a native of Halbur, Iowa.  

BALAD, IRAQ

03.31.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala 

332d Air Expeditionary Wing

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Women have been changing the face of the military since the times of Joan of Arc in the 15th century, battling to claim their place, fighting to be the best - and making history in the process.

One such woman here is Lt. Col. Debra Lee, commander of the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. Like Esther Blake, the first woman to join the Air Force (enlisted July 8, 1948), Lee has left her mark on today's Air Force with her share of firsts. Overall, she is the: first female pilot to graduate from B-1 bomber training; the first female B-1 pilot in the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; and the first female combat squadron commander of an unmanned aerial system unit.

Despite her multiple "firsts" in Air Force history, Lee remains humble.

"I am like everyone else working together as one military team to make this a better place for those who come after us," Lee noted. "I wouldn't say I have left a mark on the Air Force. I would say I have done my best and thank all those who have mentored me as well as worked with me for helping me get to where I am.

"I have met so many talented and amazing people throughout my career," she continued. "Just on this deployment, I met Capt. Sarah Schechter, a female Rabbi who is a wonderful person, and Tech. Sgt. Shannon Britt, who I work with, who is an incredibly talented artist. Sometimes you have to peel the onion back a little to see what is truly inside."

Lee joined Air Force ROTC while studying at the University of Iowa at Iowa City before transferring to Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., to complete work on a bachelor's degree. After graduating with distinction from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force and started out in the air traffic control career field.

Since the beginning of her Air Force career, she has always been driven to accomplish her dream of becoming a pilot no matter what challenge she encountered, even overcoming her own physical limitations along the way.

"We are very fortunate in the United States to have the freedoms we do," Lee said. "Women in other countries over time are also being allowed to have more prominent roles than the traditional ones of the past. I have always felt that it doesn't matter what race, religion, or gender we are. What matters for leadership roles is having people who are trained and qualified to do the position they are put into.

"The challenges I have faced deal with me personally being vertically challenged [short]," continued the Halbur, Iowa, native. "I originally missed the [pilot] height requirement by ¼ of an inch. I hung from anti-gravity boots, quit lifting weights [doing squats], slept on the floor, went to a chiropractor - all to straighten out my spine and get that ¼ of an inch. I did. Then pilot slots were gone."

Due to downsizing in the 90s, pilot slots went away. Meanwhile, Lee continued her career in ATC, never giving up on her dream of becoming a pilot.

"My parents always told me to do and be the best I can," she said. "They told me to set goals and go after them and I did. They said there will always be challenges and never give up.

"I did the best I could in air traffic control and got my private pilot's license and my master's degree," she continued. "The hard work paid off when I was told on my last try that I was selected as 1 of 5 across the Air Force to attend Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training."

Now more than 10 years since becoming a pilot, Lee continues to make history -- recently leading her unit to achieve the milestone of reaching 500,000 flight hours in the MQ-1B Predator.

Of the many memorable moments throughout her career, Lee said one of her most memorable was when she attempted to fly an all-female B-1 crew.

"One crew member fell out, so the guy who filled in wore a wig as a joke before we took off for the 50th anniversary fly-by of the WASPs [Women's Airforce Service Pilots] by Love Field in Midland, Texas, over the memorial sight of a former fallen WASP.

"The fly-by went well, but even more interesting was the evening spent at the banquet with all the WASPs," she continued. "I was amazed at the fire they still had in their eyes and how they lit up talking about the old times. They were a wild bunch still and a lot of fun."

Lee is very appreciative of the sacrifices that have been made which paved the way for her and many others in the military.

"... There is Nancy Love who was the first commander for the WAFS [Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron] that turned into the WASPs, who ferried fighter aircraft all over the United States back in WWII," she recalled. "She was the first to fly the P-51 Mustang, B-25, and B-17. Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm, first female two-star general, as well as Maj. Gen. Marcelite Harris, who became the first female African-American general.

"These are all amazing women who had goals and went against the odds to pave the way for all of us today," Lee added. "It is because of the contributions and great sacrifices of women like this that I am standing in this great uniform today. We follow in the legacy motto of the WASPs: 'We live in the wind and sand, and our eyes are on the stars.'"

In the future, Lee would like to continue to educate others about the mission and capabilities of the UAS, among other things.

"My goal is always to leave every job a better place," she said. "Bottom line, I will continue to do the best I can and see what the future holds for me. I won't give up."

Overall, Lee offers words of encouragement not just to women in the military, but to everyone: "Set your goals; do and be the best you can, and never give up."

• Date Taken: 03.31.2009
• Date Posted: 03.31.2009 06:43
• Story ID: 31801
• Location: BALAD, IQ