A South Dakota female officer serving in the U.S. Air Force made history in January. Captain Kristi Miner of Colome was part of an all-female flight on (January 22) that was comprised of 14 women who piloted a KC-46A aircraft.

Dakota News Now reports the historic all-female Air Force flight departed from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.

The flight was designed to support an initiative to increase the number of women and minorities who join the Air Force.

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Miner told Dakota News Now, “It is incredibly humbling to get to work with such amazing ladies. Getting 14 women on an airplane to share our love of flying and aviation with future Air Force officers was an experience that we’re all very proud of."

Miner serves as the 22nd Air Refueling Wing executive officer.

The flight gave the female pilots and maintenance crew members the opportunity to speak with Air Force cadets during a Women in Aviation question and answer panel that was part of the historic flight.

During the conversation, the all-female team focused on breaking down cultural and personal barriers female cadets face when vying for pilot training slots.

According to Dakota News Now, 838 women are now serving as pilots in the Air Force as of October 2020.

The KC-46 Pegasus aircraft that participated in the historic flight is used by the Air Force as a refueling and transportation aircraft.

As Dakota News Now reports, this was the first time this model of plane was piloted by an all-female crew.

Source: Dakota News Now

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