Jeannie Leavitt
Jeannie Leavitt | |
---|---|
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal | |
Spouse(s) | Colonel Craig Leavitt[1] |
Jeannie Marie Leavitt (née Flynn; born c. 1967) is a retired 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]
Early life
Leavitt was born in
Career
Leavitt began her
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
Leavitt's first command was the
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, 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 major 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.
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer. May 20, 1993. Archived from the originalon January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ "The Cavalier: The Magazine for Bishop DuBourg High School" (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.
- ^ "AF first female fighter pilot continues to break stereotypes". 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. Archived from the original on June 6, 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). "Nellis Air Force Base welcomes 57th Wing's first woman commander". 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)