IAF’s First American-Raised Female Pilot

Stand for Israel  |  December 31, 2020

While military service is compulsory for young people in the Holy Land, it heartens those of us who stand for Israel to see others serve the Jewish state, as well. This piece by The Times of Israel’s Sam Sokol tells just such a story, of a 21-year-old woman who completed a grueling three-year training course to become the first female pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) raised in the United States:

Lt. O., whose father was a longtime IAF veteran, was among 39 candidates in a class of 500 to make the grade. She was also one of only two female pilots to complete the grueling three-year course. Israel’s military censors will not allow her last name to be published.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin were on hand last week for the Negev Desert ceremony.

“I’m really ecstatic,” Lt. O. said of her graduation. “It took a while until I could feel all the excitement. As soon as my family landed I felt it. Until then I had a bunch of tests and flights.”

Lt. O., an Israel native who was raised in the United States, was trained to fly a Boeing 707. She will take on a role that consists of aerial refueling operations and hauling cargo, including medical supplies needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

She follows in the footsteps of her father, Boaz, who was an IAF navigator for 22 years before moving to the United States…