Women's History Month - 90s

Following in the footsteps of the “‘80s Ladies” trailblazers, many notable female graduates of the 1990s made history in the skies.

  • (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski ’96 was the first female Thunderbird pilot.
  • Col. (Ret.) Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell ’98 made history as the first Black female fighter pilot in the Air Force.
  • After providing close-air support of ground troops in Baghdad, the A-10 aircraft flown by then-Capt. Kim Campbell ‘97 was struck by a surface-to-air missile in 2003. Despite losing hydraulics, remarkably, she was able to land safely and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.
  • Gen. Linell Letendre ’96 currently serves as the Academy’s Dean of the Faculty.

Other notable 90s grads and related events include: Cadets Layla DeStaffany ’90 and Susan Wheeler ’91, the first national championship winners for Air Force tennis; Callie (Calhoun) Molloy ’91, the 1990 national cross-country title winner inducted into the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame; Cadet Laura Simmons ’94, the Academy’s first singles tennis champion; 2nd Lt. Laura Piper ’92, the first female Academy graduate to receive the Purple Heart; Col. (Ret.) Kabrena Rodda ’92, the first female Preparatory School commander; Brig. Gen. Kristin Goodwin ’93, USAFA commandant of cadets 2017-2019; Lt. Col. (Ret.) Christine Mau ’97, the first female to pilot the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jannel (Zicarelli) MacAulay '98, human performance and mindfulness specialist; and the women’s rugby team won the first-ever national championship in collegiate women’s rugby in 1991.

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Womens History Month