Lt. Mackenzie Schofield, USAF: "Every time I get to fly, I remind myself how cool my life is."

by Jess Clackum

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="637.0"]                                     Mackenzie Schofield then and now. [/caption]

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For 1st Lieutenant Mackenzie Schofield, being a pilot was a dream she'd had since she was a little girl. While she was influenced by her father, an Air Force fighter pilot, it was was women like the WASP who provided inspiration for her then and now.

As a child, when her six-year old friends were in dresses playing with dolls, Lt. Schofield was dressing in a mini-flight suit pretending she was Amelia Earhart.  When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she replied, "I'm going to be a pilot!"

Lt. Schofield learned of the WASP when she was in high school. A history report opened her eyes to their courage and sacrifice. That was the turning point, she knew she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the WASP.

"I still say to this day, that if I was able to live in any time in history, it would have been as a WASP in WWII."

Lt. Schofield knew the path to being a pilot required a lot of work and sacrifice and so when the time came to plan her future, she settled for nothing less than the best--the United States Air Force Academy. Through hard work and determination she excelled and after graduation in 2012, she was assigned to pilot training at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas. 

While on the road from Texas to Colorado for flight raining, she spotted the sign for the WWII WASP Museum in Sweetwater and so in a split-second she diverted to Sweetwater for a three-hour pit stop.

"On a Thursday morning, I was the only visitor there, I had the chance to read each and every sign and I really connected to the space I was in. I was one with the history I was surrounded by. Throughout pilot training, I was known to plan low levels and VFR routes over Sweetwater just so I could experience the same view the WASPs had seen so many years before me."

After completing training in the T-6 Texan and tracking into the T-1, which is the path toward cargo and tanker aircraft, Schofield received one of the top assignments--flying the C-21 out of Scott AFB, working with DV airlift and aeromedical evacuation.  For her it was an extraordinary opportunity.  

Lt. Schofield is grateful for the opportunities she's had and she plans to do her part to inspire future generations of women pilots.

"Every time I get to fly, I remind myself how cool my life is. And on days that we are chasing the sun, or taking off into clouds to find nothing but blue skies on top I have a moment of gratefulness that I am able to do this. And I know that women in history have gotten me here, it's my job now to keep moving us forward in the world of aviation.

I am so excited to see the work that has been done on FlyGirls. It's about time we honor and commemorate those who paved the way!"

We appreciate Lt. Schofield's service and we are inspired by her commitment to leading the next generation into aviation history!

Major Katie McKnight Moore, U.S. Army (Ret.) inspires today's military women just as the WASP inspired her!

by Jess Clackum

In the 1970s, the Army had entered a time of change. The feminist movement, elimination of the draft and the Vietnam War had influenced a change in policies and a shift toward equality and increased opportunities for women in the military.

Major Katie McKnight Moore was one of the courageous women who joined the Army during its time of change. Having grown up an Air Force brat and proud daughter of a B-17 Bombardier with the 8th Air Force in WWII, she was heavily influenced by her father's bravery and devotion to duty. Her father was shot down over Germany on his 33rd mission, he and his crew barely escaped before their plane exploded midair. The entire crew was captured and spent the rest of the war at Stalag Luft #1, a German POW camp. Years later during the Vietnam War, Moore's father commanded an airlift squadron supporting US Special Forces before until his retirement in 1968. His military service and devotion to duty and country was passed on to his daughter.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Katie and family. Her father was an extraordinary influence on her life! [/caption]

Upon earning a Bachelor's degree in Business with minors in Economics and English Lit from the United States International University in San Diego, Major Moore carefully considered her options for her future. After a short and forgettable stint in the banking industry, she considered military service and after visiting with a number of recruiters in spring 1976, she knew she'd found her calling. Given opportunities in all five branches of the Armed Forces were extremely limited at that time, she was thankful when the Army contacted her and welcomed her to join.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Major Katie Moore and her platoon at Basic Training. [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240.0"] With her parents at Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) flight school in February 1981, Graduation Ball. [/caption]

After Basic Training, Moore trained in military intelligence at Fort Huachuca. A year later, she attended OCS. After graduation, she returned to intelligence at Fort Huachuca where she met a number of Army pilots who convinced her that she too could fly.  It wasn't long before she attended flight school in Fort Rucker and trained to fly helicopters and twin engine turbo prop planes.

 

In addition to serving as a military intelligence officer, Major Moore spent her career flying and managing flight detachments, Army air fields, and aviation companies. Twenty years later, in 1996, she retired to Atlanta where she began a career as an Aircraft Flight Dispatcher. There, she utilized the skills she learned as an Army Aviator. After retirement in 2010, she relocated to Florida to spend time with her family, especially her father, with whom she was extremely close all her life, until his death at the age of 91.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320.0"] Promotion to Major, 1990. [/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320.0"] Major Moore commanding a flight detachment. [/caption]

Major Moore acknowledges the women who broke barriers three decades before her service, making it possible for her to have the opportunities she did.

"The same year I enlisted in the Army, 1976, the USAF started accepting women to their flight training program. The Navy and the Army had started accepting women to their flight training programs two years before, in 1974. The announcement by the USAF that they were training women to be Air Force pilots for the first time enraged the women who had been WASP and rightfully so!! It was not until 1976 that the WASP started seriously working to gain recognition and it took decades for them to achieve it.

That is why the scripted TV series Fly Girls is so important and critical.  The vast majority of the 1,074 women who graduated from the WASP program have passed away. Very few of them and The Greatest Generation, to which they were an integral part, are still with us."

Major Moore did for today's military women, what the WASP did for her generation. She had a dream and she lived it. Her courage and determination helped break down gender barriers and open opportunities for women to serve in all branches of the military and for that, we are grateful!

Major Cherish Krutil, Combat Pilot & USAF Veteran: “Follow Your Heart and Do What You Love.”

by Jess Clackum

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Major Krutil enjoyed outdoor sports, and played volleyball and ran track in high school. She excelled in academics and was a member of the National Honor Society.  Her interest in aviation began at a young age. When she was a teenager, she attended the annual Cleveland National Air Shows.

“I can remember leaving the airshow filled with excitement and I knew that's what I wanted to do.  There was nothing else that compared to watching those planes flying around, and listening to the sound of them pass overhead.  Although it has been years since I have been to that air show, it is the birthplace of my love of aviation.”

After high school, Krutil attended Wright State University and studied Business Management. While there, she began pursuit of her aviation career by joining the Air Force ROTC. While a part of ROTC, she acquired a strong sense of country and what it means to be in the military.  She became friendly with a number of her fellow cadets who had family members stationed at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force. Not having come from a military family herself, when she learned the experiences of her military-brat cadet friends, she was made aware of the vast contrast in upbringing between military and non-military lifestyles. Through these lessons, she gained a great deal of respect for the sacrifices of military families.

Krutil was commissioned a Second Lieutenant the day she graduated from college in 1997. The ceremony was held at the Wright Brothers Memorial, a quiet and serene place where Krutil would go often during her college days when she sought peace and serenity---where she often reflected on the past and the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers and how they changed the world---and ultimately her life.

“To me, it was the perfect place to go and dream and yet reflect on the past and what Orville and Wilbur did so many years ago.  I felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to such a wonderful place, so often, and to also have been commissioned into the USAF there.”

Krutil completed Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) in 1999, the only woman in her class. During that time, she flew the T-37 Tweet and T-1 Jayhawk.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1260.0"] The Cessna T-37 Tweet and T-1A Jayhawk. The T-37 is a small, twin-engined jet trainer-attack type aircraft used as a primary trainer in the Air Force. The T-1 Jayhawk is an advanced trainer for airlift and tanker pilots. [/caption]

After pilot training, she was stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan where she flew the C-9 Nightingale (Aerovac) all over the Pacific, including the tiny islands between Japan and Hawaii. She notes that a trip to Iwo Jima was a rather solemn experience. 

“While I was flying C-9s at Yokota, I flew to Iwo Jima a few times.  I had the rare opportunity to explore the island, and stand at the top of Mt. Suribachi.  As I stood on top, looking down at the tiny island and the beaches, I had this huge sense of sadness and my heart became heavy. It is one thing to read in textbooks, the battles that took place there but it is a quite different experience to be present in a place where so many men lost their lives.”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] The McDonnell Douglas C-9 is a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. [/caption]

After completing her tour in Japan, Major Krutil relocated to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina where she served as an instructor pilot and flew the C-130E. A pilot with over 500 combat hours, Major Krutil deployed several times to the Middle East as a combat pilot in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] USAF Lockheed C130-E Hercules (Photo credit: Carsten Gurk, Planespotters.net) [/caption]

Krutil was on standby on September 11, 2001. She recalls, “Due to time zone differences, the attack on the US happened during the night.  I was unaware of this until after I had gotten up in the morning.  I called in to see if there was the chance we might be going somewhere that day, just to get a heads up on the day.  I was informed to turn on my TV and that the FAA had cancelled all flying.  However, due to an urgent patient who needed to get to Guam, we still had a mission to do.  All flying had ceased from Yokota AB.  It took all day to get security clearances, and clearances to fly.  That night, we took off from Yokota to go to Guam.  It was the quietest, most eerie night I've ever flown. No other aircraft, no radio traffic, just silence.  The approximately three hour flight seemed to take forever.  I still get goosebumps today just thinking about it.  Especially knowing I am one of very few Americans who flew directly after the attacks.”

Flying is a family affair as Major Krutil’s husband Clarke, whom she met while working at the Combined Air Ops Center (CAOC) in Al Udeid, is a former C-130J pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force. When she was reassigned to the UK in 2005 as an exchange pilot and flew C-130K’s with the Brits out of RAF Lyneham, flying all over the UK, Europe and Africa, Clarke wound up stationed there too---also as an exchange pilot. The two fell in love and when he had just a year left in the UK and Krutil was faced with an important decision---relocate to Little Rock Air Force Base as an instructor or separate from the Air Force, she chose to leave the service she loved. She and her husband were married in a castle in England and now live happily in Perth, Australia with two wonderful children.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Cherish, Clarke & family. (Photo credit: Cherish Krutil) [/caption]

For the last five years, Krutil has worked for Jacobs Australia, CAE, and IDAT in the area of aviation training/development/design.  She is also a pilot studies lecturer at Polytechnic West and a business owner (Independent Consultant for Rodan and Fields).  While she is now a dual citizen of both the United States and Australia, she strives to connect the cultures. She will be a founding member of the newly formed Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Australia, regularly participates in ANZAC ceremonies to commemorate the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps in April each year who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and actively participates in US Memorial Services in Perth and other activities.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Cherish Krutil with the C-9. (Photo credit: Cherish Krutil) [/caption]

Krutil is indebted to the WASP for their service. She says, “The fact that these women were flying is a testament to how much they loved flying.  No honors, no recognition, nothing.  Most military members do not join the military for recognition or honors, but do it for the country.  You cannot sign on a dotted line, which includes the possibility of the ultimate sacrifice, if you do not love the country.  

I am in awe of what they accomplished.  It's women like them who inspired me to go on the journey I chose.  I can wholeheartedly understand the love and passion for flying an airplane.  These women did something well before their time, but if they hadn't they would not have paved the way for someone like myself.  I can only be humbled in their presence and of their accomplishments.  They deserve all the honors the men received, plus some! It is not only them who sacrificed during their journey, but their friends and families too.  I am sure they had some support, but at the same time, they were met with resistance and skepticism from many.  I can only say "thank you" to the WASPs.  It brings tears to my eyes to know how hard their journey was, as although mine was not easy, it was definitely easier due to the barriers the WASPs broke.  Having said that, I can also appreciate how full of love and passion runs through their veins when they were flying.  There is no other feeling like it in the world.  It will never go away and for those who have it in them, they will always be looking up to the sky.”

Major Krutil uses the lessons she has learned from the WASP combined with her own experiences to teach her children valuable lessons about life. “I hope that my past experiences can show my kids that you can be whatever you want to be.  Follow your heart and do what you love.  Don't worry about what other people say.  I hope this rings true for both of my kids, but especially for my daughter. I hope I can be a small inspiration to them, just as the WASP were a HUGE inspiration to me.”

We appreciate Major Krutil’s service to our country and her devotion to teaching her children that they can live their dreams. The younger generation will someday lead the world and we all want them to believe anything is possible!

Captain Miranda Gahn, US Army Blackhawk pilot: "I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd be so lucky!"

by Jess Clackum

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480.0"] Captain Miranda Gahn with the UH-60 Blackhawk at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati.  (Photo credit: MIranda Gahn) [/caption]

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Captain Miranda Gahn enlisted in the Army Reserve at the age of 17. She joined the ROTC in college and was commissioned as an MP in the Ohio National Guard upon graduation during which time she was deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle, the post 9/11 mobilization of thousands of National Guard and reservists for the purpose of performing security missions on military installations, airports and other potential targets such as bridges, power plants and port facilities.

Upon return from deployment and having decided on a career with the Judge Advocate General (JAG) office,  Gahn attended Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. She'd had no intentions of becoming a pilot until her second year of law school when she was approached by an Aviation Officer with the Ohio National Guard who discussed with her the idea of branch transferring to Aviation and pursuing a military career as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. The Aviation Officer was very candid about increasing the number of women in Ohio’s aviation community. Gahn was both surprised and flattered. She says, “I was flattered at the interest and reasoned that the opportunity to fly helicopters for the Army was probably an "opportunity of a lifetime", I figured I could always pursue JAG at a later date.”

Gahn applied for flight school with the mindset that if she was accepted it was meant to be and if not, she would simply continue pursuit of her law career. In summer 2009, she graduated from law school and passed the bar exam and in January 2010 she reported to flight school.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400.0"] (Photo credit: Miranda Gahn) [/caption]

“Flight school was challenging! Some might argue that I just completed law school, that flight school should have been a breeze, but it presented different challenges. I am a type-A personality and wanted to be really good, but aviation and aerodynamics and mechanics and systems was just not something I was naturally good at, no real aptitude for it.

In addition to overcoming material that was mostly foreign to me, I was also the most senior ranking officer in my flight school class. I attended flight school later than most students...flight school for me in my military, was sort of mid-career, I already had a primary branch, MP, while most of the students were newly commissioned and this would be their first job in the military as officers, so they were in their early to mid 20s while I was in my late 20s. 

Adding the additional responsibility of being the most senior ranking officer, while being a gender minority and working through unfamiliar material and being afraid that any weakness would be attributed to my gender made for a stressful year!”

Gahn met the challenges head-on and graduated from flight school in March 2011 and since that time she has enjoyed and treasured the opportunity to fly.

“I do feel like every step of the way has been challenging, but not without its rewards. Being a commissioned officer in Army aviation also means that you are a leader first, with your primary responsibility being the care and training of the soldiers you lead, being a proficient aviator is a very close second. The unit I belong to has been good to me, but at times I have felt as though my gender, and being a minority in that regard has made me an outsider. Currently I am the only female Blackhawk pilot in the state of Ohio and am the senior ranking female in the battalion.” 

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Captain Gahn, bottom right, holding the edge of the flag, served as Commander of Bravo Company, 1-137th Aviation Regiment. (Photo credit: Miranda Gahn) [/caption]




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Sunrise in Kuwait before taking off in the Blackhawk. (Photo credit: Miranda Gahn) [/caption]

Captain Gahn recently returned from a Middle East deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. She is an attorney and Business Program Manager supporting customer relations at GE Aviation, manufacturer of the T-700 engine used in the Blackhawk and Apache helicopters. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400.0"] More than just a pilot, Miranda Gahn is a devoted wife and mom!        (Photo credit: Miranda Gahn) [/caption]

Of the WASP, Gahn says, “The women who served in the WASP, are extraordinary women, I'm deeply humbled by their bravery and inspired by their service. I am also thankful for the trail they blazed, making the seemingly impossible, possible, for so many other brave women. I'm not a role model and have never thought of myself as one, but maybe, just maybe, my story along with others might inspire other young women to burn a trail of their own, to set out to accomplish something they never thought possible...I know I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd be so lucky to fly Blackhawk helicopters for the Army!”

The FlyGirls team believes Captain Gahn is indeed a role model and we know she will inspire young women everywhere to follow in her footsteps!

Major Catherine Christ, former USAF pilot: The WASP made her aviation career possible!

by Jess Clackum

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Major Catherine Christ's desire to serve in the military and her interest in aviation was inspired by her father and other family members who served. As a child growing up in Grosse Ile, Michigan, she often attended air shows and enjoyed visiting the Dayton Air Museum (National Museum of the Air Force).

Christ thought flying would remain just a dream until she was accepted to the United States Air Force Academy where she studied Biology and realized that her dream of being a pilot could become a reality. After her uncle, a KC-135 boom operator organized an incentive flight for her out of MacDill Air Force Base Tampa during her freshman year at the Academy, Christ was hooked. She says, “Being there with the crew and seeing everything involved was the coolest thing and I just knew that's what I wanted to do.”

After pilot training, Christ was assigned to the 93rd Aerial Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State where she flew the KC-135. She eventually deployed six times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling fighter jets in mid-air. The KC-135 was the USAF's first jet-powered refueling tanker which replaced the KC-97 Stratofreighter. Initially tasked with refueling strategic bombers, it was used extensively in the Vietnam war and later in conflicts like Operation Desert Storm to extend the range and endurance of US tactical fighters and bombers.   [/caption]

Her final assignment was as a T-1 instructor for advanced pilot training. She separated from active duty as a Major and now serves as Admission Liaison Officer for the Air Force Academy in the USAF Reserves. Her husband Craig, whom she met at the Academy, is also a Major in the Air Force Reserves and flies the KC-135. She feels very fortunate they have had the rare opportunity to share their careers together.

"It's been amazing being able to share our career together, not many couples get to do the same thing as their spouse and it's been so cool to experience everything together, I think it gave us a great understanding of each other and it was easy to talk about the good and bad of our work days and we both knew what was going on.  I think some of my neatest memories have been hearing him on the radios while I'm flying either in pilot training or while we're deployed, it's been a really great adventure."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Sharing their careers: Majors Catherine & Craig Christ met at the Academy and married after graduation. [/caption]

Christ is incredibly thankful for the opportunity she’s had to live her dream which was made possible, in large part by the courageous women pilots who came before her.

“Where would I be without the WASP and how they paved the way for myself and countless other female aviators? I was an Air Force pilot for 10+ years before setting aside my flight bag and headset for diaper bags and pacifiers.  If it hadn't been for the WASP and all the barriers they broke I wouldn't have had the opportunity to fly and serve for the Air Force in an amazing career before settling down at home with my four little kids.

Without the sacrifices of the WASP I would not have been able to have the career that I did.  Their story is long overdue in being told and I can't wait for my daughters to see how much has changed in aviation history from the time those incredible women paved the way for all of us to fly to when their mom was a pilot.”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] A Family Affair: Catherine & Craig with their children. Catherine loves being a wife, mom and role model for her children! [/caption]

Thank you Major Christ for your honorable service to our country and for being such a great role model to young girls everywhere!

Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Congresswoman, Combat Veteran, and Retired Lt. Colonel, Army National Guard

by Jess Clackum

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400.0"] Rep. Tammy Duckworth (Photo: Congress.gov) [/caption]

Rep. Tammy Duckworth was born in Thailand to an American father and Thai mother. Her father, a Marine, served in Vietnam and later with the United Nations Development Program. Duckworth's family moved often because of her father’s work, eventually settling in Hawaii, where she graduated high school and went on to earn herBachelor's degree in Political Science. She would later earn a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. During that time, she joined the Army ROTC, eventually choosing to fly helicopters because it was one of a few combat positions open to women. She attended flight school, transferring to the National Guard and later the Illinois National Guard.

In 2004, while studying for the PhD at Northern Illinois University, Duckworth and her National Guard unit deployed to Iraq. One of the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, she lost her legs and partial use of her right arm when the Black Hawk helicopter she piloted was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. She was promoted to Major that same year during her recuperation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  It was during her recovery at Walter Reed that she was inspired by Senator Bob Dole to pursue public service.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614.0"] Tammy Duckworth stands outside a Black Hawk helicopter like the one she was in when she was shot down Nov. 12, 2004. She's holding bags of candy and school supplies intended for Iraqi children. (Photo credit: DailyHerald.com) [/caption]

Duckworth served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009. She created tax credits for employers who hired veterans, established a 24-hour veteran crisis hotline and developed programs to improve veteran access to housing and health care.

In 2009, President Obama appointed her Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the US Department of Veterans Affairs. During that time, she led efforts to end veteran homelessness, improve accessibility to the VA and address challenges faced by Native American and women veterans.  She also created the Office of Online Communications to improve accessibility to the VA, particularly among younger veterans.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="298.0"] Tammy Duckworth at the 2010 ceremony honoring WWII veterans who fought in the Pacific. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) [/caption]

In 2012, Duckworth became the first disabled woman elected to the U.S. House and one of four women veterans serving in the Congress. She has introduced legislation to assist veterans in transitioning to civilian life and employment in the private sector, extend maternal leave for military women and eliminate abuses in the VA system. She has also encouraged the V.A. to hire more veterans as doctors and nurses because of their unique understanding of the issues faced by combat veterans. 

After 23 years of service, Duckworth retired a Lt. Colonel in the Illinois National Guard. She continues to fly as a civilian pilot and has competed in several marathons.

Duckworth supports equal opportunity for women in the military especially in combat. Recalling when she was one of only two women in flight school, “We fought as hard as we could to make sure people understood we were just as good (as pilots) as the guys were."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600.0"] When Tammy Duckworth wanted to show her constituents that she was ready and determined to serve in Congress, she hopped on her bicycle -- her hand-cranked bicycle.  (Photo credit: Women Bike: League of American Bicyclists) [/caption]

Captain Mary Therese Klinker's legacy lives on.

by Jess Clackum

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Captain Mary Therese Klinker, Flight Nurse, United States Air Force Reserve [/caption]

A native of Lafayette, Indiana and graduate of St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, Captain Mary Klinker joined the Air Force Reserve in 1969 as a flight nurse, instructor and flight examiner.

While stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, Klinker helped servicemen wounded in Vietnam and released American prisoners of war.  She was eventually assigned to the 10th Aeromedical Evacuation at Travis where she cared for wounded soldiers being transported from hospitals in Vietnam to hospitals in Japan, Philippines, Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.

She was assigned to the 22nd Aircraft Squadron Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1974. After the fall of Saigon, President Ford ordered an airlift of thousands of South Vietnamese orphans out of Saigon and to the United States for asylum and adoption. This humanitarian mission was known as Operation Babylift. Captain Klinker volunteered to assist in the mission and was responsible for caring for the children during their transport.

The official government flight of Operation Babylift Saigon departed on the afternoon of April 4, 1975 with 314 persons on board. Twelve minutes after takeoff an explosion tore apart the fuselage and the cabin lost pressure. Most onboard could not access oxygen masks as the aircraft was overcrowded and though the pilots attempted to turn back, it was too late. The C-5A Galaxy cargo plane crashed into a field just two miles from Saigon, killing 154 infants, flight crew and caregivers including Captain Klinker.

Klinker, who was just 27 years old at the time of her death, was the only member of the Air Force Nurse Corps to be killed in Vietnam. She was posthumously awarded the Airman's Medal for Heroism and the Meritorious Service Medal.  She is on panel 01W, line 122 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC.  

Captain Klinker’s legacy of helping people lives on through the Mary T. Klinker Veterans Resource Center, a chapter of the Disabled American Veterans located in Lafayette, Indiana. The Center serves homeless and at-risk veterans and their families by providing resources, peer to peer counseling and financial assistance.  

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Congresswoman, combat veteran

by Jess Clackum

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="333.0"] Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 113th Congress [/caption]

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard represents the 2nd Congressional District of Hawai’i. She is former Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee and one of the first female combat veterans to be elected to the United States Congress.

Gabbard was born in American Samoa and moved to Hawaii as a teenager. Her career in politics began in 2002 when she became the youngest person to be elected to the Hawai’i State Legislature and to any state office in the nation.

In 2003, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawai’i National Guard. One year later, she resigned from her post as legislator to deploy with her unit to the Middle East for participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom, during which time she served as a specialist in a field medical unit with the 29th Support Battalion medical company.  

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Tulsi Gabbard on deployment in the Middle East [/caption]

Upon returning home from Iraq in 2006, Gabbard served as a legislative aide for Senator Daniel Akaka during which time she assisted with veterans issues, energy, natural resources, and homeland security. She worked closely with the community to build a grassroots network.

Gabbard’s love for public service was influenced by her father who serves in the Hawai’i State Senate. She says, “Whatever you do, do it with the heart of service and making a positive impact on other people’s lives.”

During the time she worked with Senator Akaka, Gabbard graduated from the Fort McClellan Officer Candidate School in Alabama and became the first female distinguished honor graduate in the Academy’s 50-year history.  She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and re-assigned as Military Police Platoon Leader in the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion of the Hawai’i National Guard. She left Senator Akaka’s office in 2009 for a voluntary deployment, once again to the Middle East where she led her platoon on a number of security missions.  

In 2010, Gabbard was elected to the Honolulu City Council and served on the Zoning and Public Works Committee, Vice Chair of the Budget Committee and Chair of the Safety, Economic Development, Government Affairs committees. She took on a variety of local issues and helped create new economic opportunities for constituents.  

In 2015, Gabbard was promoted to Major in the National Guard. She continues her military service to this day.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="330.0"] Gabbard's promotion to Major, 2015. [/caption]

On the subject of women in the military she believes there should be equality on the front lines. During a 2013 interview with ABC’s This Week, she said,

"As long as we've had a United States military in place, women have been raising their hands to serve our country.  If you can pull your weight and if you can do the job, you should be able to do it," she continued. "What we see in the policy change, now that we're seeing starting to be executed, is just a reflection of what women have already been doing in the military."

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaking at the 2012 Democrat National Convention.  [/caption]

FlyGirls honors the military and public service of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. She is yet another inspiring woman who has challenged inequality and refused to be told, “No girls allowed.”

DEAR LT: GRIT IN THREE WAYS YOU DIDN'T EXPECT, AND ONE YOU DID

By Shannon Huffman Polson (aborderlife.com)

Dear LT, 

This week I gave a presentation to a group of business people in Bellevue, Washington about the most important lesson I learned over eight years of service. I talked to them about grit.

A DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF GRIT

Angela Duckworth has defined grit as passion and perseverance toward very long term goals. I think that’s a great start, though it sounds more like endurance to me. My experience was a little— well, grittier, so my definition is, too. Here’s what I’ll offer. Grit is dogged determination in the face of difficult circumstances. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="351.0"] My flight school stick buddy Anders and I in one of the many classes [/caption]

My first note to you talked about grit, but I’ve had a few more thoughts. In eight years, there were three places I needed grit that I didn’t expect it, but there were places it came naturally, too. This is to say that grit is available to you any time. It isn’t some special and elusive characteristic that only other people have. There are times it comes easy, and other times it comes hard. Either way you’ll need it.

GRIT COMES HARD

First for the hard stuff. Early on as a lieutenant, I met and worked for both excellent senior officers and real jerks. It was eye opening as a young woman who had never experienced hostility from someone senior directed at her, and I was blind sighted the first couple of times. When I was still a cadet, one lieutenant colonel looked directly at me and told me what I would never be able to do (turns out he was wrong) and another colonel turned and walked away from me when we were introduced. I learned two things about grit from those experiences. The first is that I’d need grit when people imposed limitations on me. The second is that I’d need grit to avoid internalizing those doubts and limitations myself. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="422.0"] Apache parking space at Glamoc in western Bosnia [/caption]

The third and hardest place I’d need grit, though, was dealing with my own failures. If you’re driven to succeed, and if you’re unprepared, your own failures can take you down. 

When I was stationed in Bosnia, I failed one of my pilots. I knew he hadn’t been feeling well, and asked him if he wanted to fly on our several days trip to Glamoc in the western part of the country. He said he was ok, and he’d do it. We launched, made the cross country flight, and anded. That night the company instructor pilot came to talk to me. 

It turned out the pilot who hadn’t been feeling well was worse. We went to the company headquarters and requested a Medevac.

The company IP came back to talk to me.

“You’ve got to take care of your guys, LT,” he said.

I protested. I knew that leadership was a sacred trust. I knew that taking care of my people was my most important responsibility.

“I asked him how he was doing,” I told the IP. “He said he was OK to fly.”

“Sometimes these guys need you to look out for them when they won’t look out for themselves,” he told me. I knew that he was in some portion correct. That I had failed, and not only failed but failed someone I was in charge of taking care of. I was mortified.

And still, after arranging for the Medevac, I needed to be able to lead my platoon. I had to focus on shooting gunnery. This took more grit than I’d needed before in a way I had never expected.

OK. Enough of that. Now for the good part.

GRIT COMES EASY

If you’re someone who likes to be challenged— and if you’re wearing a uniform, then you are one of these people— there is a place that grit is part of the fun. It is innate for people in the right circumstances, and you can work to create those circumstances. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="421.0"] Flying in mission profile in Bosnia. I took this photo from the front seat of my Apache helicopter. [/caption]

For me that was flying and leading. In the cockpit, I had to focus completely on the task at hand. When I was flying, talking on three radios and multiple frequencies, managing three different sight and targeting systems and navigating, controlling the movement of four to eight helicopters, and employing three different weapons systems, the aircraft demands one hundred percent of your focus. There is no room for doubts or insecurities. I loved it. In the aircraft I wasn’t the female platoon leader or the female company commander, I was just the platoon leader, the company commander. I was, at different times, Aces 16, Blue Max 56, Razorback 06. 

Grit is at the intersection of focus and passion. You’ll need grit, but you don’t have to look hard to find it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FEAR

This is not to say that everything about the aircraft was easy. There’s no room for fear in the cockpit, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t come at times. I remember a chill when we were strafed with enemy radar in Korea and Bosnia, the chilling focus when the cockpit filled with smoke and we made a hard landing on a midwestern prairie. The key to managing fear is this: when the fear comes, you turn toward it, and fly through it. There is not other way. That will take grit too, and you won’t have time to look for it. There it is a question of doing.

The thing about all of this though is that you have grit inside of you already. You need to be prepared, and you’ll make ample use of it. The way that grit is usually talked about and written about is as though it is always related to something bad, but this isn’t always true. In those places grit comes naturally, it can be fun. It’s part of working through a challenge, and that’s what you’re there to do if you’re wearing the uniform.

More to come next week, LT. Keep up the great work. And remember that no matter what comes, you’ve got grit.

Yours,

Shannon

Jill Meyers, USAF veteran and President of Women in Aviation, International, San Diego Chapter

by Jess Clackum

Jill's love for aviation began as a little girl. She built model airplanes at a very young age but a flight with a family friend in a Cessna 140 tail dragger at the age of 13 changed her life forever. From that point on she knew she wanted to fly. She used to ride her bike to the local municipal airport for flying lessons and eventually obtained her private pilot's license at the age of 17.

Jill has always been inspired by the WASP. They were a tremendous influence in her life:

"I knew about the WASP back then and was particularly enamored with Jackie Cochran. I was so impressed with her goal to build a training program for all of the interested ladies, not just selfishly getting herself up in the air. And she was the first woman to break the sound barrier! How cool is that? Knowing how hard these women fought just to fulfill their passion for flying, and to serve their country, was so inspirational to me. Knowing what they accomplished is part of why I decided to join the Air Force at the age of 19, even though I was unable to fly for them due to their rules surrounding female pilots at the time. I was still thrilled to be a member of the Air Force for eight years, supporting the mission and being part of military aviation."

Jill went on to serve 8 years in the USAF as a Computer Systems Programmer/Analyst. Stationed at Sembach Air Base in Germany, where she worked for the United States Air Forces in Europe’s 601st Tactical Control Wing, Jill was solely responsible for the success of NATO’s “Display Determination 1982”, a combined forces exercise with participation from 12 countries.

She also spent time at Offutt AFB as a computer programmer for the 1st Aerospace Communications Group, part of Strategic Air Command (SAC) Headquarters, and as a computer security analyst for the GPS satellite ground control at the 50th Space Wing at Falcon AFS where she ensured continuous up-time for the GPS network.

In the civilian world, Jill has worked for large companies such as Boeing and Raytheon in addition to a few startups, and has a wide range of experience in the development of both piloted and unmanned aircraft systems. She worked on airborne communication systems for Air Force One and the C-32/C-40 Executive VIP aircraft fleets; managed the systems engineering department at Eclipse Aviation to build and FAA certify the Eclipse 500 jet; managed upgrades to the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) ground segment, and currently manages production of communication and navigation systems for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jet.

In 2004, she joined Women in Aviation International (WAI) and became part of their outreach efforts to young people. WAI is an international association dedicated to providing networking, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for women striving for challenging careers in aviation and aerospace.

For Jill, who holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, she was excited to give back to her community and help open doors of opportunity. In 2012, she became Founder and President of the first chapter of Women in Aviation, International (WAI) in Philadelphia. She is currently in her second year as Chapter President of the WAI in San Diego.

We thank Jill for her unwavering support of FlyGirls and dedicated service to the security of our country.

Support our WWII Women Aviators: funddreamer.com/campaigns/flygirls

Photos from WAISD's Girls in Aviation Day, San Diego, 2015