Smithsonian Identifies First Women to Fly Combat Missions

Decades after flying their combat missions in near anonymity, the women agreed to be named in an article published in the museum's 'Air & Space Quarterly.'

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, January 04, 2024 at 04:41 PM ET

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Three of the first U.S. women to fly combat missions, including Joy Dean, were Hornet pilots. [Courtesy: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum]

Key Takeaways:

The names of the first U.S. female combat pilots, who flew missions decades ago, have finally been publicly released in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's *Air & Space Quarterly*.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kimberly “Face” Dyson became the first female pilot to fly a U.S. combat mission in November 1994, following the Department of Defense ending its combat exclusion law in April 1993.
Dyson was one of five female naval pilots who flew combat missions in 1994 and 1995 in Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they had previously kept their identities quiet out of a desire to focus on the missions rather than themselves.

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The names of the first female pilots who flew combat missions for the U.S. military have finally been released, decades after their missions ended.

“The women had kept their identities quiet for that time out of a desire to focus on the importance of the missions and not the individuals,” the Smithsonian National Air & Space museum, which had a hand in identifying the pilots, said in a statement. “The flyers agreed to be named in an exclusive article in the just-released winter 2024 issue of museum’s Air & Space Quarterly magazine, which was based on interviews with the women.”