President’s Message
USAF Jet Fighter Pilot (Retired Colonel) Martha McSally
USAF Jet Fighter Pilot (Retired Colonel) Martha McSally earned her USAF pilot’s wings in 1991 after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training At William Air Force Base east of Phoenix. Following graduation, she was assigned to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, as a First Assignment Instructor Pilot in the T-37 trainer. McSally went on to Lead-in Fighter Training in 1993.
McSally then completed Replacement Training Unit for the A-10 Thunderbolt II at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base and was assigned to an operational A-10 squadron that deployed to Kuwait in January 1995. During this deployment, she flew combat patrol over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq and becoming “the first female U.S. fighter pilot to fly in combat and the first woman to command a fighter squadron.”
In 1999, McSally deployed to Europe in support of Operation Allied Force. She was selected as one of seven active-duty Air Force officers for the Legislative Fellowship Program. She lived in Washington, D.C., working as a national security advisor to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ).
McSally took command of the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in July 2004. She was subsequently deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2006, McSally’s squadron won the David C. Shilling Award, given by the Air Force Association “for the most outstanding contribution in the field of flight”.
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April will see three important events:
1. Our AAUW Alhambra-San Gabriel Branch Annual Meeting – April 19th
Information Is in this Mission Gateway newsletter, which provides important details on this meeting. This is the time we elect the Board Officers to lead us in the coming program year (July 2025 to June 2026). Your vote is needed in this election of Branch Officers. We will also have guest speaker Retired Air Force Colonel Wayne Scott, to speak about Women in the Military. In these challenging times, this is a critical topic.
2. The AAUW CA Annual Meeting – April 26th – ZOOM
We will find out how our Branch Speech Trek Winner fared in the state competition. Also, there will be special awards and recognitions, which may involve our branch. You will want to attend this meeting.
3. AAUW National Dues Increase – The AAUW National Board has approved a modest dues adjustment – $2 per year over the next two years. Starting April 1, 2025, individual members dues will be $74. On April 1, 2026, dues will change to $76.
“No effort is wasted, even if we do not appreciate its significance in the moment.”
Robert Hubbell
Marilee