EDUCATION MARTIN: So what was that first ride like in an F-16? It was in that question Marilla taught me last Sunday. She develops, executes and evaluates all Air and Space Forces aviation, ground, weapons, space and system mishap prevention and nuclear surety programs to preserve combat capability. 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. 2019 Harvard Business School, Executive Fellow in Executive Education Jeannie Marie Leavitt (ne Flynn; born c. 1967) is a United States Air Force (USAF) general officer. July 2010May 2012, Air Force Chief of Staff Fellow, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C. That story and the day's top news tomorrow on MORNING EDITION. Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt is the Department of the Air Force Chief of Safety, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia, and Commander, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. | Sitemap |. Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt is the commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, and made history as the service's first female fighter pilot. 13. Leavitt is now a two-star general based in San Antonio, Texas, where until recently she commanded the Air Force recruiting services. Ravi Zacharias, When I'm drawing, I only do that at home, really, at my drawing table. LEAVITT: It's a pretty incredible feeling. Leavitt shared her experiences with the newest generation of female aviators and others, from an ROTC cadet at the University of Texas, all the way to her current position as the Department of the Air Force Chief of Safety. And I was selected to go to Moody Air Force Base, and I was able to get five F-16s backseat rides while I was there. "It's a steep climb. 16. Today, she is the commander of the Fourth Fighter Wing out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Since then, Leavitt added four master's degrees to her educational credentials and a number of military medals, such as a Bronze Star. Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters Female Fighter Pilot, She Was Breaking Through Barriers", "The Cavalier: The Magazine for Bishop DuBourg High School", "First female combat pilot completes training", "AF first female fighter pilot continues to break stereotypes", "Biographies > Major General Jeannie M. Leavitt", "Change of command at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base", "Nellis Air Force Base welcomes 57th Wing's first woman commander", "STLer who became Air Force's first female fighter pilot promoted to brigadier general", "Trailblazing officer says goodbye to Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas Sun Newspaper", First Female Fighter Pilot: 'Attention Wasn't What I Wanted', Women in Combat, policy change briefing by SecDef Les Aspin, April 28, 1993, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeannie_Leavitt&oldid=1119623727, Female generals of the United States Air Force, Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 5. 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. Thats not the most healthy environment.. If you are a current WAI member, we invite you to log in to access your online account and Member Compass dashboard below. 17. [4][6], Leavitt's F-15 flight hours have included 300 combat hours, mostly over Afghanistan and Iraq. Welcome to our new website! 1991 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. July 2004September 2005, Chief of Special Technical Operations, U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal The Air Force valued different perspectives. I was very fortunate. The Air Force said his commanding officer, Brig. Maj. Gen. Leavitt 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. We hope that you'll enjoy it as much as we do. By working together, we can achieve our mission to maintain and enhance our industry as a whole. Atamaniuk Funeral Home Inc. Michael Atamaniuk. BG Jeannie Leavitt. Ravi Zacharias When I'm drawing, I only do that at home, really, at my drawing table. Leavitt began her Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas in 1992. 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. In 2016, However, everyone was professional about it. For Leavitt, who in June became the operations and communications director for the Air Education and Training Command, the reach for diversity now includes embracing the attention that comes with being a pioneer. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. And so, I think one of the big important points will be what qualifications are required; and not having those the gender specific. Advertising Notice The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. She has also served as a commander of a fighter squadron and deputy commander of an operations group at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Distinguished Service Medal 6. (There were no press releases or news conferences highlighting her graduation.). June 2001 August 2003, F-15E instructor pilot, Wing Standardization and Evaluation Examiner. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Your adrenaline gets going and your heart rate increases, says Leavitt. For the 2019 film "Captain Marvel," Gen. Leavitt worked with the production team to coordinate Air Force assistance in accurately portraying female military pilots. August 2003July 2004, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Sometimes, however, she got to fly fast while enforcing the no-fly-zone in southern Iraq. I am I just wanted to fly fighters. 9. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., poses for a portrait on the flightline July 15, 2016. [5], Leavitt began her Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas in 1992. "It helped that once we started flying, people began to see that we were there because of our abilities and not our gender," Leavitt said in an exclusive telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I've flown with her, I know her capabilities," said Wells. The percentage of female air personnel overall has also remained roughly level, climbing from just 19 to 20 percent since then. 18. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters March 1993July 1993, T-38 Instructor Pilot Upgrade Trainee, Vance AFB, Okla. Kevin Henkes, The busier you are, the more intentional you must be. You are someone who has succeeded in all these leadership roles. During her 20 years in the Air Force, 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. 2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. She was appointed Commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, at the same base in June 2012. Finally, she manages, develops and directs all safety and risk management courses. To get to that cockpit, Flynn, who is now Jeannie Leavitt, had to prove a lot of people wrong, including the militarys top leadership. (Current as of December 2022), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters | Privacy Policy Leavitt was about to become a feminist icon. April 2016June 2018, Commander, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev. Maj. Gen. Leavitt is the Department of the Air Force Chief of Safety and Commander of the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. EDUCATION Air Force Achievement Medal July 2009June 2010, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. L.M. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of women in all aviation career fields and interests. Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster "I get to do amazing things with amazing people every day. July 1998June 2001, F-15E Instructor Pilot, Assistant Chief, then Chief of Weapons and Tactics, later Flight Commander, then Assistant Operations Officer, 391st Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho We want a mix of backgrounds. 2012 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville I think in the case of the F-15E, the crew concept with two people [pilot and weapon systems officer] works very well, she says. 8. Jeannie Marie Leavitt (ne Flynn; born c. 1967) is a United States Air Force (USAF) general officer. 2010 Master of National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. And in a new book, she has a lot to say about how Congress works, and how it doesn't. Jeannie Marie Leavitt (ne Flynn; born c. 1967) is a United States Air Force (USAF) general officer. You are someone who carved your own path. 2004 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Jeannie Leavitt, Self: Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel LIVE Red Carpet World Premiere Montgomery, I was a very confident child. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea As the top graduate, I had the opportunity to choose the first assignment. Preszler said she flew for weeks not knowing that her G-suit sat too high on her torso, bruising her ribs every time she went in the air. Air Force. MARTIN: How did your fellow airmen treat you? 3. 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. 2010 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, All but a few of her instructors had warned her that selecting a fighter jet would characterize her as a troublemaker and jeopardize her Air Force career. She is also dedicated to lifetime learning, having obtained four Master's degrees in addition to her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering. Leadership matters. Why should we love God? Especially during the early days of training, where everybody was watching us, and there were just some jerks who were going to try to take away your dream., Their commanders were also paying close attention to how well the three women were doing. On one mission, during Operation Southern Watch in 1996, she supported a Royal Air Force Tornado GR1 under threat from an Iraqi Roland surface-to-air missile. Terms of Use). Maj. Gen. Leavitt has served in a variety of flying, staff and command assignments, and has commanded at the flight, squadron and wing level. Additionally, she directs research to promote safety awareness and mishap prevention, oversees mishap investigations, evaluates corrective actions and ensures implementation. Over the next two decades, the three women would rack up a long list of firsts, with Leavitt leading the way. 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. Brattleboro, VT 05301-2923 . Copyright 2013 NPR. In 2016, she became the first woman to head the 57 th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and in June 2018 she took over Air Force recruiting. Leavitt did not learn that the Air Force had begun making flightsuits designed for women until she became commander of the recruiting services in 2018. Aircraft flown: F-15E, T-37, T-38A and AT-38B 4. "When you fly like that, you fly under intense pressure. Terms of Use), https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2aae85aea-25c1-4496-af7e-bccfb35e6d86, Military Women Aviators Oral History Initiative (MWAOHI), Major General Jeannie Marie Leavitt (USAF). Born and raised Jeannie Flynn in St Louis, MO, she earned her commission through Air Force ROTC as 1864 Dayton Germantown Pike, Unit 4Germantown, OH 45327. Leavitt is responsible for 34 squadrons at 13 installations constituting the Air Forces most diverse flying wing. July 2004 September 2005, Chief of Special Technical Operations, United States Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea. 3. Summary The children of Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander, get ready to spray their mom with a hose after her "fini-flight," May 29, 2014, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Phone: (802) 254-8183 June 2001August 2003, F-15E Instructor Pilot, Wing Standardization and Evaluation Examiner, 57th Operations Group, later Academics Flight Commander, then Assistant Operations Officer for Academics, 17th Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. LEAVITT: Oh, it was absolutely amazing. And yet the thought of anything happening to you brings me to my knees. The number has only nudged upward in the last 20 years, from one percent in 2000. LEAVITT: I have never reached out to female aviators over male aviators, to be honest, because I have always kept a very gender-neutral mindset. 2012 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville Claire Danes, Having been in the newspaper business for a long, long time, I often wonder, Why do we actually need to know about something like a bus crash in Bangladesh that has no effect on us at all? 8. 2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. There were people who were waiting to see how Id do., When she graduated in 1998, she had grown tired of being separated out from her male colleagues and put in front of cameras for news conferences every time she broke a barrier. She earned her commission as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. 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 FORT MEADE, Md. Leavitt was the first to graduate fromand teach atthe Air Forces elite weapons school, and later to command a combat fighter wing. But you remember what you need to do because the training is so realistic. Asked if she worried about her own safety, Leavitt says: I didnt typically think about my life being in danger because I felt like the troops on the ground were so much more vulnerable., Though the F-15E is capable of flying at Mach 2.4, the air-to-ground missions Leavitt flew didnt require such speed. (AFNS) -- After Col. Jeannie Leavitt finished pilot training at the top of her class in 1992, she was given her first choice of aircraft, with a few restrictions.Her first choice, the F-15 Strike Eagle, wasn't yet an option for female pilots. Privacy Statement 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. MARTIN: Tomorrow, another woman of note: Olympia Snowe. April 2007 July 2009, Assistant Director of Operations. [8], In June 2014, Leavitt relinquished command of the 4th Fighter Wing to become principal military assistant to the Secretary of Defense in Washington, D.C.[9], In 2016, Leavitt became the first woman to take control of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, and was promoted to brigadier general. The fact is that sexual assault is incompatible with Air Force core values. When I started fighter training - due to my timing - I was the only woman in the training programs that I went through. June 2020August 2021, Director of Operations and Communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas [3], Leavitt is married to retired USAF Colonel Craig Leavitt, and they have two children.[13]. "She's a great wingman," says her boss, Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells, who flew with her in combat over Iraq. [10][11], In June 2018, Leavitt relinquished command of the 57th Wing to become commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Randolph Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, in Texas. 17. June 2014April 2016, Principal Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. But writing I could do in other places. 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. 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