Jeannie Leavitt
Jeannie Marie Leavitt (née Flynn; born c. 1967) is a United States Air Force (USAF) general officer. 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.[2] In April 2021, she was appointed to replace Major General John T. Rauch as Chief of Safety of the United States Air Force, and assumed office on August 13, 2021.[3]
Jeannie Leavitt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jeannie Marie Flynn |
| Born | c. 1967 (age 55–56) St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1991–present |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Air Force Safety Center Air Force Recruiting Service 57th Wing 4th Fighter Wing 333d Fighter Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Operation Southern Watch Operation Northern Watch Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal |
| Spouse(s) | Colonel Craig Leavitt[1] |
Early life
Leavitt was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to James, who was enlisted in the Air Force, and Pat Flynn.[4] She attended Bishop DuBourg High School, a private Roman Catholic school in St. Louis. 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.[5]
Career
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. Thereafter she began formal combat training in the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, becoming the service's first female fighter pilot.[4][6]
Leavitt's F-15 flight hours have included 300 combat hours, mostly over Afghanistan and Iraq. 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.[7]
From 2002 to 2010, Leavitt earned three master's degrees; a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University in Alabama (2002), a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base (2004), and a Master of National Security Strategy from the National War College (2010).[8]
Leavitt's first command was the 333d Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. She was appointed Commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, at the same base in June 2012.[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.[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.[12]
She assumed her present assignment on August 13, 2021.[3]
Personal
Leavitt is married to retired USAF Colonel Craig Leavitt, and they have two children.[13]
Assignments
- January 1992 – March 1993, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
- March 1993 – July 1993, T-38 instructor pilot upgrade trainee, Randolph AFB, Texas, later Vance AFB, Oklahoma.
- July 1993 – April 1994, student, F-15E Formal Training Course, 555th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona.
- April 1994 – January 1998, instructor pilot, training officer, later Assistant Chief of Weapons, then Assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
- January 1998 – July 1998, student, USAF Weapons Instructor Course, F-15E Division, Nellis AFB, Nevada.
- July 1998 – June 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.
- June 2001 – August 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, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nevada.
- August 2003 – July 2004, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
- July 2004 – September 2005, Chief of Special Technical Operations, United States Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea.
- September 2005 – April 2007, Chief of Master Air Attack Plans, 609th Combat Plans Squadron, Ninth Air Force and United States Central Command Air Forces, Shaw AFB, South Carolina.
- April 2007 – July 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, 334th Fighter Squadron, later Commander, 333d Fighter Squadron, then Special Assistant to the 4th Operations Group Commander, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
- July 2009 – June 2010, student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
- July 2010 – May 2012, CSAF Fellow, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C.
- June 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
- June 2014 – April 2016, Principal Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
- April 2016 – June 2018, Commander, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada.
- June 2018 – June 2020, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
- June 2020 – August 2021, Director of Operations and Communications, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
- August 2021–present, 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.
Flight Information
- Rating: Command Pilot
- Flight hours: More than 3,000, including over 300 combat hours
- Aircraft flown: McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, Northrop T-38 Talon, Cessna T-37 Tweet
Awards and decorations
Jeannie Leavitt's decorations as of June 2020:
| Distinguished Service Medal | |
| Defense Superior Service Medal | |
| Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster | |
| Bronze Star Medal | |
| Defense Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters | |
| Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters | |
| Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters | |
| Aerial Achievement Medal | |
| Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster | |
| Air Force Commendation Medal | |
| Air Force Achievement Medal |
Other achievements
- 1997: Outstanding Young Texas Exes, University of Texas at Austin
- 2009: Katherine and Marjorie Stinson Award, National Aeronautic Association
- 2018: Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award
- 2019: International Aviation Women’s Association, Wings Outstanding Aviator Award
- 2019: Harvard Business School, Executive Fellow in Executive Education
- 2019: The University of Texas at Austin, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Distinguished Alumni
Promotion dates
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Major General | September 2, 2019 | |
| Brigadier General | July 3, 2016 | |
| Colonel | October 1, 2009 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel | March 1, 2006 | |
| Major | May 1, 2002 | |
| Captain | July 1, 1995 | |
| First Lieutenant | July 1, 1993 | |
| Second Lieutenant | July 1, 1991 |
References
- This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Air Force.
- ^ "Leavitt and Doherty Family Members Escorted Prior to Change of Command Ceremony". Seymour Johnson AFB Library Digital Collections. June 1, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ "First female fighter pilot becomes first female wing commander". Fox News. May 31, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Leavitt takes reins of safety during change of command". U.S. Air Force. Air Force Safety Center Public Affairs. 2021-08-18.
- ^ a b . Philadelphia Inquirer. May 20, 1993. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ (PDF). Bishop DuBourg High School. Winter 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Bravo, Al (February 26, 1994). "First female combat pilot completes training". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. p. 7B.
- ^ . Air Force News Service. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Biographies > Major General Jeannie M. Leavitt". af.mil. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ "Change of command at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base". WCTI12.com. June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Nellis Air Force Base welcomes 57th Wing's first woman commander". Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ^ Holleman, Joe. "STLer who became Air Force's first female fighter pilot promoted to brigadier general". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
- ^ Akers, Mick (2018-06-11). "Trailblazing officer says goodbye to Nellis Air Force Base – Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
- ^ Rogers, Keith (April 16, 2016). . Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
External links
- "2nd Lt. Jeannie Flynn-Leavitt".
- First Female Fighter Pilot: 'Attention Wasn't What I Wanted' Interview for NPR, May 12, 2013
- ABC News Nightline: Female Fighter Pilot Breaks Gender Barriers on YouTube
- Women in Combat, policy change briefing by SecDef Les Aspin, April 28, 1993 (C-SPAN video, forward to 33 minute point)