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Fighter jocks are what the Air Force is all about. Argue otherwise if you please, it doesn't matter. There are two types of people in the Air Force: fighter pilots and everyone else. The path to the highest levels of command begins with a turn as fighter squadron commander, and the first ever female to attain that exalted status has just been named:
Lt. Col. Martha McSally, who once claimed persecution by the military, is now getting a plum position never before awarded to a woman. She's about to become the Air Force's first female fighter squadron commander, the choicest job the service offers for an aviator of her rank.Lt Col McSally, who in 1994 became the first female Air Force pilot to fly combat missions, freed military women from a bizarrely cruel twist of fate when she successfully sued the DoD in 2001 over a policy that required those serving in Saudi Arabia to wear abayas when off base. She argued that the practice was offensive to her as a Christian, and that it was unnecessary because other women working in the Middle East nation, such as U.S. embassy staffers, were not forced to wear the long, black cloaks.
Responding to the pending suit the Air Force simply re-worded the rule to state that the wear was "highly encouraged" rather than "mandatory" and claimed the change was sufficient to merit dismissal. (Note: In the military, "highly encouraged", "suggested", or "recommended" mean "mandatory")
Not satisfied with the progress, Lt Col McSally sought and gained congressional mandate to "strongly encourage" the Air Force to drop the requirement. Those women who served in Saudi Arabia subsequently owe their comfort and freedom to her tenacity in the matter.
Sounds like the sort of person that will make a great commander.
