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Theresa M. Claiborne (* 1959) is the first female
On June 20, 1981, Claiborne was commissioned as second lieutenant in the USAF. She became the first African-American female pilot in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Laughlin Air Force Base on September 16, 1982 with the class 82-08. Claiborne flew KC–135 Stratotankers for
African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
pilot in the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
(USAF).
Education
Claiborne came from a military family and she went toCalifornia State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State Universit ...
where she joined the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...
(ROTC). She realized she wanted to be a pilot while in the ROTC program. She completed her Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located east of Del Rio, Texas.
Overview
Laughlin AFB, the largest Aviator, pilot training base in the US Air Force, is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing of the Air Educa ...
, Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, in 1982.
Career
On June 20, 1981, Claiborne was commissioned as second lieutenant in the USAF. She became the first African-American female pilot in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Laughlin Air Force Base on September 16, 1982 with the class 82-08. Claiborne flew KC–135 Stratotankers for Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
for seven years. She left active duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force.
Indian
The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...
in 1988. She served as an instructor pilot on the KC-135E and a flight commander
A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common ...
for the USAF Reserves where she rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Claiborne also began working for United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...
as a first officer in 1990. She would later be promoted to captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. She retired from the military on January 6, 2003 with over 3000 military flight hours.
In 2016, Claiborne co-founded the organization Sisters of the Skies with pilots Christine Angel Hughes and Nia Wordlaw. Sisters of the Skies' mission is to support and build a more diverse next generation of aviation professionals by offering workshops, mentorships, and scholarships. She flew her final flight then retired on May 23, 2024.
Awards
Claiborne was inducted into the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Hall of Fame in 2017.References