Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Courtesy PhotoCommander of U.S. Transportation Command Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt share words during Leavitt’s retirement ceremony Sept. 23, 2023, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Leavitt retired after more than 30 years of service. During her time in the Air Force, she was not only the chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center but, most notably, the first female fighter pilot. (Courtesy photo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    










Courtesy PhotoCommander of U.S. Transportation Command Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt share words during Leavitt’s retirement ceremony Sept. 23, 2023, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Leavitt retired after more than 30 years of service. During her time in the Air Force, she was not only the chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center but, most notably, the first female fighter pilot. (Courtesy photo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    









Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., poses for a portrait on the flightline July 15, 2016. Leavitt is responsible for 34 squadrons at 13 installations constituting the Air Force's most diverse flying wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., poses for a portrait on the flightline July 15, 2016. Leavitt is responsible for 34 squadrons at 13 installations constituting the Air Force's most diverse flying wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    
Courtesy PhotoCommander of U.S. Transportation Command Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt share words during Leavitt’s retirement ceremony Sept. 23, 2023, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Leavitt retired after more than 30 years of service. During her time in the Air Force, she was not only the chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center but, most notably, the first female fighter pilot. (Courtesy photo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
        
        Courtesy PhotoCommander of U.S. Transportation Command Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt share words during Leavitt’s retirement ceremony Sept. 23, 2023, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Leavitt retired after more than 30 years of service. During her time in the Air Force, she was not only the chief of safety and commander of the Air Force Safety Center but, most notably, the first female fighter pilot. (Courtesy photo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
        
        Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., poses for a portrait on the flightline July 15, 2016. Leavitt is responsible for 34 squadrons at 13 installations constituting the Air Force's most diverse flying wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., poses for a portrait on the flightline July 15, 2016. Leavitt is responsible for 34 squadrons at 13 installations constituting the Air Force's most diverse flying wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
Air Force trailblazer, Maj. Gen. Leavitt, retires after 31 years of servicePublished Sept. 27, 2023
                    
                    By JONATHAN STEFANKO
                    
                    
                    U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs
            **SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --**Sept. 23 may have marked the close of Maj. Gen. **Jeannie Leavitt**'s distinguished career, but the legacy she's crafted and the lives she's influenced will undoubtedly resonate for generations, **U.S. Transportation Command**'s top general said during Leavitt's retirement ceremony. 
 
Officiating the event, USTRANSCOM Commander Gen. **Jacqueline Van Ovost** recounted the hurdles and triumphs that defined Leavitt's storied 31-year journey. From being the Air Force's **first female fighter pilot** to being the first woman to command the 57th Wing at **Nellis Air Force Base**, Nevada. 
 
Leavitt's tale is etched with many "firsts," yet beyond the accolades and achievements, what truly propelled her was her character, Van Ovost said. 
 
“As her character was being shaped in those early years,” Van Ovost continued. “She had every opportunity to choose an easy path. To take roads well-traveled, but that’s not who she is.” 
 
From her early aspirations in aerospace engineering to confronting policies that once barred women from combat-coded fighter aircraft roles, Leavitt's resolve knew no bounds. With the unwavering support of her parents, she overcame challenges and pioneered new paths.

However, recalling the obstacles faced by women in combat roles in the early nineties, Van Ovost emphasized that policy change alone was insufficient. Acceptance and recognition were battles unto themselves, and Leavitt was at the forefront of these transformative times. 
 
To help reshape misguided perceptions, Leavitt would venture to Hollywood, where she'd work with Disney on the captain movie project. This opportunity would give Leavitt a stage to tell her Air Force story and provide a better representation and window into what a lifetime of service looked like. 
 
“[Jeannie] had to cope with a constant demand to be in the spotlight, because of her many firsts, something that’s not really representative of who Jeannie is,” Van Ovost said. “She much prefers to stand back, behind the scenes to guide and mentor. To take care of the people and the mission – [that’s] the true purpose behind her continued dedication to service.” 
 
Leavitt’s aspirations were never solely for herself, but about lifting an entire community. And through her tenacity and resilience, Leavitt laid the foundation for future generations to tread. 
 
“On behalf of all of those who journeyed beside and behind you, thank you for having the courageous character necessary to pave new roads for others to follow,” Van Ovost said.FS 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt 



USTRANSCOM 



honor 



Trailblazer 



retirement first female fighter pilot 



57TH WING 



One Team One Fight

Related Links
        Leavitt: Dream big, work hard
            
            Chief of Safety, Commander of Air Force Safety Center changes from Leavitt to Choquette Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil