I have always wanted to fly airplanes .
So my mom took me to an air show when I
was three years old and there's a photo
of me sitting in the cockpit of an
aircraft with a giant grin on my face
and giving a big thumbs up from that
moment on , I knew I wanted to fly , I
always wanted to do something that was
fun and adventurous . And to me there
wasn't anything more adventurous than
than being in an aircraft and it wasn't
just airplanes . I wanted to be a
fighter pilot and at that time I didn't
know that women weren't actually
allowed to do it . I didn't find out
until I was in college . Um and I was
in ROTC cadet and I discovered there
was a law that excluded women from
combat roles , luckily that was
repealed about two years before I
graduated and I was actually able to be
on the leading edge of women that were
flying fighters . Being a woman in
aviation , especially as we
really incorporated women into the
combat portions of the Air Force flying
was a little bit different experience .
It was a complete culture change for
the Air Force where we had to look at
our operations , our squadrons are
personnel in a different way . Before
then , women were flying in more
support roles . We had tanker pilots ,
we had instructors but we didn't really
think of women as combat aviators who
would go out and do the job . And so
naturally there was some questions at
the the leading edge of the program as
to whether women had the capability to
perform as well as men did . And you
know , I think for those of us who have
done the job , it doesn't matter what
your gender is . It matters that you're
committed , that you're capable ,
you're credible and that you have a
love of country and a love of flying .
What inspired me to join the Air Force
is actually 9 11 . I was 11 years old
in the sixth grade and I remember
watching on the tv , all these people
running out of the buildings while
there was lots of running in um all of
our first responders and some military
on the ground there helping out where
they can . And I remember vividly
feeling This overwhelming want to run
into those buildings at 11 years old to
help these people who are trapped . And
that's when I really I started looking
into the military and thinking I want
to do that and at 17 is when I really
decided that certain other things
didn't work out in my life . At that
time I was joining the air force and
here I am . If I could go back and do
this all over again , I don't think I'd
ever choose another career field . Um I
absolutely love what I do . I get to
work with the aircrew every day in and
out . I'm right there with them working
the ops desk um walking through the
squadron and talking to them , watching
them do good things . And the only
thing I could ever think to change is
actually being a flyer . Um , I think
that would be very cool , but I'm good
where I am and I'm happy to be a part
of that mission .
So I think women are just incredibly
resilient and like pushing and finding
a space for themselves and making that
space and saying like , hey , we can be
leaders and we can do this job and we
can do it as well as you guys , if not
better . And like I just find it really
inspiring
while I like a girl .