After graduating in 1985 and before joining the Air Force, she earned a BS degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a MS degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in California. That determination would serve Leavitt well during the next two and a half decades, when she climbed to the highest ranks of the U.S. Air Force. Leadership matters. Air Force. They each started training at different times, in different aircraft, and at different bases. The three women stood next to McPeak, who had earlier said that while he had opposed the change, there was always a small chance he was wrong. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Rank Service Battles Quotes Interviews Career Personal life Early life. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. September 2005 April 2007, Chief of Master Air Attack Plans, 609th Combat Plans Squadron. I loved everything about flying from the time I was a child. Instead, she was assigned to fly refueling tankers. Erica Jong, You want people to think. Colonel Leavitt is this week's Sunday Conversation. August 2003July 2004, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. We hope that you'll enjoy it as much as we do. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters It helps you be more effective in that airplane when you have a crew that works together., Leavitts respect for the F-15 makes for sometimes spirited debates with her husband, who is a retired Air Force F-16 pilot. Some of the difficulties were more practical. I realize not every person wanted this to happen, she told reporters in 1993. Jeannie Leavitt's decorations as of June 2020: US Air Force general and first female fighter pilot in USAF, ABC News Nightline: Female Fighter Pilot Breaks Gender Barriers, Chief of Safety of the United States Air Force, "Leavitt and Doherty Family Members Escorted Prior to Change of Command Ceremony", "First female fighter pilot becomes first female wing commander", "Leavitt takes reins of safety during change of command", "On The Front Lines When Second Lt. Jeannie Marie Flynn Began Training Yesterday To Be The First U.s. But not just any pilot. Shes not leapfrogging anyone. Sometimes, however, she got to fly fast while enforcing the no-fly-zone in southern Iraq. She has also served as a commander of a fighter squadron and deputy commander of an operations group at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. 7. It was hard to blend in and be part of the squadron when there were media requests and interviews and such. The general recalled that in one sortie over Iraq, Leavitt was the flight leader, while he flew in a support role in an F-16. Leavitt came to speak at a Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training graduation and host professional development events for Sheppard AFB female Airmen. A few months later, she received a call from Air Force leadership. 1990 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas, Austin Leavitt graduated from fighter training in April 1994 and went on to her first active-duty assignment at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. It was an acknowledgment from the man who had tried to stand in her way that the system that had initially prevented her from becoming a fighter pilot was unjust. Samuel L. Jackson and Jeannie Leavitt at Edwards AFB.jpg 1,000 606; 168 KB. She entered the Air Force in 1992 through ROTC after earning a degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas. 18. August 2003 July 2004, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. And I said, well, sir, I don't want to be the first, but if that's the terms of the deal I'll take it. When it became clear she would graduate number one in her class, in 1993, entitling her to first choice of the aircraft she would fly, everyone began to talk. Legal Statement. TED Women Spotlight: Brig. She became the U.S. Air Force's first female fighter pilot in 1993, and was the first woman to command a USAF combat fighter wing. June 2001 August 2003, F-15E instructor pilot, Wing Standardization and Evaluation Examiner. What is going on? 1997 Outstanding Young Texas Exes, The University of Texas at Austin 3. 2010 Master of National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. LEAVITT: Not everyone is cut out for flying fighter aircrafts. Legal Statement. She was being trained as a T-38 instructor pilot at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio when restrictions on women flying combat missions were dropped in April 1993. MARTIN: When did you know you wanted to fly fighter jets? Steven Holl, I've seen countless wars, upheaval, the worse atrocities. Preszler and McSally both mentioned instances when senior officers refused to shake their hands or turned their backs in response to a greeting. Since then, Leavitt added four master's degrees to her educational credentials and a number of military medals, such as a Bronze Star. Flight hours: more than 3,000, including over 300 combat hours Ill just leave it at that.. Label that however you want." We want a mix of backgrounds. Bronze Star Medal That story and the day's top news tomorrow on MORNING EDITION. ASSIGNMENTS During my interviews with her in the spring, she spoke with the well-honed cadences of someone who has spent her professional life in the public eye. The more I learned about the more I just loved aviation and flying, and that's what made me want to be a pilot. And so, I think one of the big important points will be what qualifications are required; and not having those the gender specific. So I've written in airports, in Leavitt will be in charge of the wing's 5,000 active duty men and women, with 12,000 civilians in the base population. Maj. 2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Women still couldn't be in ground combat but they could fly fighter jets. When Defense Secretary Les Aspin ordered the services to drop restrictions on women flying combat missions in 1993, she became the Air Force's first female fighter pilot. Air Force Achievement Medal Thereafter she began formal combat training in the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, becoming the service's first female fighter pilot. 2021-2022 University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Graduate She is also dedicated to lifetime learning, having obtained four Master's degrees in addition to her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering. Prior to her current assignment, the general served as Director of Operations and Communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, where she was responsible for the world's largest training organization, providing initial skills, undergraduate flying, post graduate combat crew and supplemental training for more than 300,000 Air Force, joint and international personnel at 65 Air Force and Department of Defense locations. Her Air Force career has spanned more than 25 years, and Gen. Leavitt has flown more than 3,00 hours to include 300 hours of combat flight with operational experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, including in Operation Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. [4] She attended Bishop DuBourg High School, a private Roman Catholic school in St. Louis. Though the Air Force has made advancements in designing gear for female aviators, in some ways the service has changed only marginally since Leavitt first sat in a fighter cockpit. July 2004September 2005, Chief of Special Technical Operations, U.S. Leavitt is now a two-star general based in San Antonio, Texas, where until recently she commanded the Air Force recruiting services. You are someone who carved your own path. Ravi Zacharias, When I'm drawing, I only do that at home, really, at my drawing table. MARTIN: One more women started to follow in your footsteps, did you feel compelled to go out of your way to help them, to kind of show them the ropes? 6. Even if she did not embrace the role of pioneer, she would eventually learn to accept it. 10. 9. I mean we are actively addressing the problem. FORT MEADE, Md. Jeannie Marie Leavitt Quotes & Sayings. When you see what's happening now in the debates and the conversations, what's your take on all of this? And five of the highest-ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff and the president himself. January 1998July 1998, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, F-15E Division, Nellis AFB, Nev. She is a graduate and former instructor of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours. 1998 Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. EDUCATION This is Colonel Jeannie Leavitt, and pretty much from the time she learned how to fly, she wanted to be a combat fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. [3], Leavitt was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to James, who was enlisted in the Air Force, and Pat Flynn. 2002 Master of Business Administration, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. | Privacy Policy 2021 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Warrenton, Va. March 1993July 1993, T-38 Instructor Pilot Upgrade Trainee, Vance AFB, Okla. Maj. Gen. Leavitt has served in a variety of flying, staff and command assignments, and has commanded at the flight, squadron and wing level. Bronze Star Medal Robin Givhan, You can say I'm not the easiest architect in the world, because I'm always trying to push the limits. In her role as recruiting services commander, Leavitt made a priority of increasing diversity in the Air Force by reaching out to women and minority groups. MARTIN: As the services are trying to figure out how to incorporate women into combat units, the military, and in particular the Air Force, is dealing with increasing rates of sexual harassment, sexual assault. She was the services first female fighter pilot when she stepped into an F-15E Strike Eagle in 1993. COLONEL JEANNIE LEAVITT: I was fascinated with flying. Leavitt has logged more than 2,500 hours in the F-15 Strike Eagle, including 300 hours flying in combat primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. But she was also friendly and animated, especially when discussing her favorite airplane, the F-15. She was appointed Commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, at the same base in June 2012. But there is a problem. SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt has had a storied and historic more than 30-year Air Force career from the time she commissioned in January 1992. We would occasionally go supersonic when we started air intercepts, she says, but the adversary aircraft always turned away well short of the border., Leavitt believes in the F-15. Team Seymour youngster donates hair for cause 130601-F-YC840-007.jpg. 2. [3], Leavitt is married to retired USAF Colonel Craig Leavitt, and they have two children.[13]. July 1993 April 1994, student, F-15E Formal Training Course. My timing was such that I tried very hard just to blend in, says Leavitt. Aircraft flown: F-15E, T-37, T-38A and AT-38B Join the Because of Her Story community. 1. MARTIN: When I have seen footage, I mean it looks like you really do have to have a stomach of steel though. The number has only nudged upward in the last 20 years, from one percent in 2000. And at one point, I was asked by a general officer, he said: Now, you realize if you were to go fly fighters, you would be the first female fighter pilot for the Air Force. [8], Leavitt's first command was the 333d Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. You did not have a lot of mentors. LEAVITT: There is nothing I want more than to exterminate sexual assault from our Air Force. The general said only 6 percent of all Air Force officers make the rank of colonel, let alone hold a command position. Is this just more of reporting happening? In order to get the most out of your member experience,you will need to create a new login. It was her first visit to the North Texas base, which also included being the guest speaker at the 80th Flying Training Wings Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training class 22-04 graduation. By 2016, Jeannie Leavitt, then a brigadier general, commanded the U.S. Air Force 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base. When Leavitt stood up to announce her choice in the auditorium at Laughlin, she knew the answer would be no. She was the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and she has served in a variety of flying, staff and command assignments, and has commanded at the flight, squadron and wing level. Leavitt was the guest speaker for a Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training graduation and hosted professional development events during her visit. Market data provided by Factset. A lot of faith and trust is put in you, and you have a lot of responsibility. "I've flown with her, I know her capabilities," said Wells. Cookie Settings, Ancient DNA Charts Native Americans Journeys to Asia Thousands of Years Ago, Catch a Glimpse of a Rare Green Comet This Month, Ancient DNA Reveals a Genetic History of the Viking Age, See the Face of a Neolithic Man Who Lived in Jericho 9,500 Years Ago, How an Unorthodox Scholar Uses Technology to Expose Biblical Forgeries. The fact is that sexual assault is incompatible with Air Force core values. She was the services first female fighter pilot when she stepped into an F-15E Strike Eagle in 1993. 2012 Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge It has now become easier for her to relinquish her privacy because she views all those years of breaking down barriers as a story that belongs not only to her but to the entire Air Force. The percentage of female air personnel overall has also remained roughly level, climbing from just 19 to 20 percent since then. 2019 International Aviation Womens Association, Wings Outstanding Aviator Award June 2020August 2021, Director of Operations and Communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas And it made it just absolutely fascinating. A reporter asked if by going into fighter training so soon, she was leapfrogging over qualified men. And it's not based on you being male or female. All Rights Reserved. August 2021present, Department of the Air Force Chief of Safety, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va., and Commander, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M. At the time, the law allowed women to fly fighter aircrafts, but the Department of Defense (DoD) policy did not allow women in any combat roles. For the 2019 film "Captain Marvel," Gen. Leavitt worked with the production team to coordinate Air Force assistance in accurately portraying female military pilots. I did not want to be the first one necessarily. Happy to read and share the best inspirational Jeannie Marie Leavitt quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. I was very fortunate. You want people to be emotionally moved. All hell broke loose, says Martha McSally, a U.S. senator from Arizona who was then a flight instructor in the Cessna T-37 at Laughlin. 13. June 2018June 2020, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas Montgomery, I was a very confident child. 1, but you cannot pick a fighter," Leavitt said. 2. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS LEAVITT: What I found was, you know, in almost all cases people were professional. Its a hard program for anyone, says Leavitt. 1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. What we do matters," Leavitt said. 5. But writing I could do in other places. And, to be honest, once the change took place and people realized that, you know, they were bringing competent aviators into the community, there was much less resistance. That July, she began training in the F-15E at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. LEAVITT: Oh, it was absolutely amazing. Aerial Achievement Medal Your browser is incompatible with this widget. L.M. July 2004 September 2005, Chief of Special Technical Operations, United States Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea. 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