Female leaders from Omaha, Air Force gather at Offutt

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Ben Gonzales
  • Air Force News Agency
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AFPN) --  Nebraska female executives met some of the Air Force's leading women during the Ten Dinner Aug. 14 at the Patriot Club on Offutt Air Force Base.

The Air Force's top acquisition leader, the Reserve mobilization assistant to the deputy surgeon general of the Air Force, the deputy director for global effects and the war on terrorism, and a Thunderbirds pilot were four Air Force women who met some of Nebraska's leading ladies during Air Force Week in the Heartland.

"The Ten Dinner is a dinner for the Ten Group, who are a group of Omaha metro executive women who get together on a monthly basis to have camaraderie with other senior level executive women," said Megan Lucas, the president and chief executive officer of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. "Offutt is a significant part of the Bellevue/Offutt community and tonight we are celebrating the women in blue. The chamber wants to find ways to make sure the men and women here are taken care of. When Airmen deploy, we are taking care of their families, and when they come home they have what they need to celebrate."

Offutt AFB is the largest employer in the Omaha region and the third largest employer in the state of Nebraska, she said.

Air Force Week in the Heartland runs from Aug. 9 through 17. It is a part of a proactive initiative to increase communication with the public. Air Force Week includes community visits and talks by Air Force officials, flight demonstration team performances and displays highlighting the Air Force men and women serving on the front lines.

Ms. Sue C. Payton, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, gave the keynote address on her personal experiences and leaderhip. Others at the dinner included Maj. Gen. Linda S. Hemminger, who works for the Air Force surgeon general. She is a University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine graduate and lives in southwest Iowa just 85 miles from Offutt AFB.

Keeping an eye on the effects of the war on terrorism on the American military is Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson. She is responsible for all aspects of developing, coordinating, refining and assessing U.S. military and national strategies related to countering ideology supporting terrorism and cyberspace operations.

"I'm from Iowa so it is delightful to be in the Heartland," said General Johnson, who was a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1981 and one of the first women to attend the Academy. "There are a lot of similarities in leadership, whether you are in uniform or whether you are running a business. With this dinner, the women leaders who support the base here will appreciate and understand the Air Force even better. Plus we get the chance to thank them for their support."

One person who gets to thank the public for their support on a consistent basis is Maj. Samantha Weeks, the No. 5 and lead solo pilot for the Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds. The F-15 Eagle pilot now flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon to showcase the airpower of the Air Force at 70 different shows to approximately 30 states in 2008.

"It is a unique opportunity to see women from the local and Air Force community come together to share experiences and realize that there is a bond among women just as there is in the fraternity of the Air Force in general," Major Weeks said. "Mentorship is a big part of the Air Force and a part of the business community. You get to realize that there are women who have been through some challenging circumstances, maybe not personally in a cockpit but definitely in life."

As a Thunderbirds pilot, Major Weeks meets young men and women at every airshow. But sitting in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft would not have been possible without pioneers like General Johnson.

"I try to share the same message to boys and girls across the country, and that message is that if you believe in yourself and you work hard then you can achieve anything you desire in your life," she said. "I was 6 years old in 1981 - the same year General Johnson graduated from the Air Force Academy - and I decided that I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Women couldn't fly then, but I just stuck to my goal, decided what I wanted to do in life, worked hard, surrounded myself with good people, and timing was definitely a big part of it. I was able to achieve my dream and do what I want to do and stand here today in uniform and tell the Air Force story so we can bring in the next generation of Air Force officers and Airmen who believe in themselves first and foremost."

For more information on Air Force Week in the Heartland activities, visit www.airforceweekintheheartland.com.