Former swimmer serving in U.S. House of Representatives
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Martha McSally, a 1988 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and former Falcon swimmer, is currently a member of the United States House of Representatives. McSally earned three letters in swimming at the Academy (1985-87) and was a member of three Continental Divide Conference championship teams. The 1985 team posted a 20-3 dual meet record, while the 1986 team was 21-0.
After graduation from the Academy, she earned her master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She became the first female pilot to fly in combat in January, 1995 when she flew the A-10 into Iraq to enforce the United Nations’ “no-fly zone” while deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. She was later selected as an A-10 instructor pilot, the first female in U.S. history in that role.
In July 2004, McSally took command of the 354th Fighter Squadron becoming the first woman in U.S. history to command a combat aviation unit. In that role, she led her A-10 team on a combat deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Sept. 2005 until Feb. 2006. She was awarded a Bronze Star and multiple Air Medals for her combat leadership and performance.
McSally retired as a command pilot in 2010 with over 2600 flight hours, including over 325 combat hours. She was elected to Congress in 2014 from the state of Arizona.
In the above photo, Martha McSally is joined by Col. Wesley Hallman (USAFA Class of 1990) and Major General Thomas Bergeson (USAFA Class of 1985).
Information was gathered from www.mcsallyforcongress.com/about-martha
