PEACHTREE CITY, USA – Aventure marks Women’s History Month by honoring Jeannie Marie Leavitt, the first female U.S. Air Force fighter pilot.
Born in St. Louis in 1967, Leavitt’s father was an Air Force enlistee, immersing her in the world of military aviation. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas, and her Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.
Leavitt joined the Air Force in 1992, the year before restrictions on women flying combat missions were dropped. After completing the F-15E Formal Training Course in April 1994, she officially become the U.S. Air Force’s first women fighter pilot.
During her career, Leavitt recorded over 3,000 flight hours and 300 combat hours in the F-15. Leavitt would fly in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In 2012, she became the first woman to command an Air Force combat fighter wing. She earned the rank of Major General in 2021.
Over her career, Leavitt strongly supported women in aviation.
