VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Breaking barriers: first U.S. woman to fly a fighter jet in combat speaks at SU
Jill Schumacher: Martha McSally entered the Air Force Academy in 1984, where she was told she could not be a fighter pilot, it was against the law because she was a woman. In 2004, McSally became the first woman in the United States to fly a fighter jet into combat and command a fighter squadron. Her journey has not been easy, but like the many women before her, she wanted to pave the way for others.
Martha McSally: I knew it was going to be hard, but I would rather raise my hand and go first than watch somebody else do it. I would rather pave the way for others than sit on the sidelines and have someone pave the way for me.
Schumacher: McSally is now using her life as an example to teach others. Showing audiences like the many ROTC cadets, active service members, and veterans in the audience here in Syracuse, how to overcome adversity and thrive for the lives they truly want.
McSally: These things are going to happen for you not to you. You’re going to go through some tough times, but you have the grit and ability to not just survive to thrive. And actually, turn the adversity into jet fuel.
Schumacher: U.S. Air Force cadet James Hrdy was selected to introduce McSally and Hrdy, who just so happens to be a perceptive fighter pilot himself, said he learned from McSally to take risks and build to be better.
James Hrdy: The subconscious mind there’s a lot of things affecting us that we are not even aware of and just letting that go. I think everybody could take a little something from that. I had somethings I had to let go and I didn’t even realize until I was talking with her about it.
Schumacher: McSally, despite losing her father at the young age of 12 and facing abuse from coaches and in the military, took the cards she was dealt and succeeded. Looking at challenges as new opportunities, breaking barriers, and not just exceeding others’ expectations, but your own. By teaching that you are not just one thing, just like McSally is not just a fighter pilot or a trauma survivor. She is unbreakable, courageous, and generous.
McSally: My hope and my message would be hang on there, it’s not going to be forever, you’re not alone, reach out, get support, and these challenging negative things can actually strengthen you, and I am a living example of that.
Schumacher: You can look at McSally’s resume and see she has a bronze star, six Air Force medals, multiple top gun awards, a former U.S. senator, but that is not who she is. That is the message she wants to send. Not defining yourself by one thing, your past, your fears, and to connect with who you truly are. To become truly unbreakable. Jill Schumacher, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Martha McSally made history as the first woman in the United States to fly an Air Force fighter jet in combat and to command a fighter squadron. But like many trailblazing women before her, her journey was marked by challenges as she broke through long-standing barriers.
McSally faced hardships early in life. Her father died when she was 12 years old, and she is a trauma survivor—enduring sexual abuse from her high school coach and later in the military.
McSally shared her story on April 10 at Syracuse University as part of the D’Aniello Speaker Series.
Challenges to Triumph
Wanting to make her father proud, McSally said she continuously pushed herself, whether it was in school or athletics. She was admitted to the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she initially dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Once she arrived on campus, McSally learned that women were not allowed to be combat pilots. That moment changed the trajectory of her life, she said. The fact that it was a law preventing her from pursuing her dream simply because she was a woman only fueled her determination.
“I knew it was going to be hard, but I would rather raise my hand and go first than watch somebody else do it,” McSally said. “I would rather pave the way for others than sit on the sidelines and have someone pave the way for me.”
After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1990, she became the first woman in U.S. history to command a fighter squadron and earn a Bronze Star. McSally said that even after being told she couldn’t be a fighter pilot, she held onto a dream that she believed was meant for her. It took close to 10 years for that dream to become a reality.
“Then a phone call came in one day from the Pentagon saying they had identified, and were about to change the policy, that they had identified seven of us women who earned a fighter out of pilot training,” McSally said.
Her résumé does not stop there. She has six Air Force medals and multiple Top Gun awards. McSally also fought against discriminatory policies targeting servicewomen in Saudi Arabia—risking her career, suing the Defense Secretary, and drafting legislation that passed unanimously.
She later served four years in the U.S. House of Representatives and two years as a U.S. senator.
Inspiring Others
Today, McSally is a keynote speaker and leadership coach, teaching others how to overcome adversity and fear to achieve success. She brought her message to Syracuse University’s National Veterans Resource Center as part of the D’Aniello Speaker Series.
Her story serves as an inspiration to ROTC cadets, active service members, and veterans in Syracuse, showing them how to face adversity head-on and pursue the lives they truly want. It’s about seeing challenges as opportunities, breaking barriers, and surpassing not just others’ expectations, but your own.
As a keynote speaker, she spreads her message and journey to show that nothing is impossible.
“My hope and my message would be hang on there, it’s not going to be forever, you’re not alone, reach out, get support, and these challenging negative things can actually strengthen you, and I am a living example of that,” McSally said.
ROTC Cadet James Hrdy had the honor of introducing McSally. A prospective fighter pilot himself, Hrdy said he learned how to build to be better—how to take risks, learn from experience, and persevere.
“The subconscious mind, there are a lot of things affecting us that we are not even aware of, and just letting that go. I think everybody could take a little something from that. I had some things I had to let go, and I didn’t even realize until I was talking with her about it,” Hrdy said.