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Amy McGrath

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Amy McGrath
File:Amy+McGrath+photo.jpg
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUnited States Naval Academy (BS)
Johns Hopkins University (MA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Years of service1997–2017
Rank Lieutenant colonel

Amy McGrath Henderson[1] is an American politician and retired combat aviator in the United States Marine Corps. She was the first female Marine to fly in an F/A-18 on a combat mission.[2][3] McGrath served for 20 years in the Marine Corps during which time she flew 89 combat missions bombing al Qaeda and the Taliban.[4] In 2016, she was inducted into the Aviation Museum of Kentucky's Hall of Fame and her military story is described in Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq.[5] She is the Democratic nominee for Kentucky's 6th congressional district in the 2018 election.

Early life

McGrath grew up in Edgewood, Kentucky.[6] Her father was a high school English teacher and her mother, a medical doctor, was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky's medical school. McGrath was inspired to become a military aviator at a young age, especially after visiting the National Museum of the United States Air Force.[2] She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1993.[6] After graduating, she went on to the Naval Academy in the same year.[2] She graduated from the academy in 1997, earning a bachelor's degree in political science.[2] In the academy, she was part of the first women's varsity soccer team.[2] After graduating from the Naval Academy, she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.[7] She later earned a master's degree in international and global security from Johns Hopkins University.[8]

Career

Military

McGrath started flying as a Weapons Systems Officer in the F/A-18 aircraft in 1999.[9] McGrath was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2002 for a six-month tour, during which she flew 51 combat missions in a F/A-18D[7] in Operation Enduring Freedom.[10] She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission in the United States Marine Corps.[11] In January 2003, she was sent to fly in Iraq, where she provided air support to ground troops and conducted reconnaissance and air strikes.[7] During her time supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom[8] in Iraq, she was stationed in Kuwait.[12] By 2005, now-Captain McGrath had become a pilot and was on a second tour of duty over Afghanistan. She became the first woman to fly the F/A-18 in combat for the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2007, she was promoted from captain to major.[12] In 2010, she served a second tour in Afghanistan with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Helmand Provence.[10] McGrath worked at Representative Susan Davis's office in Washington, D.C., as a defense and foreign affairs advisor in 2011.[8] The next year, she worked at Headquarters Marine Corps as a liaison at the Pentagon.[8]

McGrath was inducted into the Aviation Museum of Kentucky's Hall of Fame in 2016.[6] McGrath retired from the armed forces on June 1, 2017.[8]

Politics

On August 2, 2017, she announced that she was running for the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 6th congressional district as a Democrat in the 2018 election.[13] The video announcing her run had over one million views on YouTube by August 3, 2017.[14] McGrath won the Democratic Party primary on May 22, 2018.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Panda Patrons" (PDF). The Notre Damian: 19. Fall 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Kenton native named to Ky. Aviation Hall of Fame". The Cincinnati Enquirer. August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ Kenny, Caroline (August 2, 2017). "Retired fighter pilot announces her run for Congress in Kentucky". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  4. ^ de Wind, Dorian (August 2, 2017). "Amy McGrath, a Marine Combat Fighter Pilot on a New Mission". Huffingtonpost. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  5. ^ Ellis, Ronnie (April 28, 2017). "NKY's Amy McGrath considering run against Andy Barr? CNHI News reporter Ronnie Ellis has the story". Northern Kentucky Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Bucher, Chris (August 4, 2017). "Amy McGrath: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved August 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ a b c Steitzer, Stephanie (April 7, 2004). "Marine Pilot Gets Rare View of Opening Day". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved August 4, 2017 – via HighBeam Research. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e Bucher, Chris (August 1, 2017). "Amy McGrath: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  9. ^ Heyne, Mark. "Local Combat Pilot, Marine Lt. Col. Amy McGrath, Inducted Into The KY Aviation Hall Of Fame". Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Meet Amy". www.amymcgrathforcongress.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ Kennedy, Kelly (May 2, 2018). "What it Was Like to Be One of the First Female Fighter Pilots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Lachmann, John (March 5, 2007). "Local Alum Has Earned Her Wings: Marine Pilot No Stranger to Combat". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved August 4, 2017 – via HighBeam Research. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle (August 2, 2017). "Female Retired Marine With Viral Campaign Ad Hopes To Bridge Gap In Democratic Party". NPR. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  14. ^ Puckett, Jeffrey Lee (August 3, 2017). "Kentucky combat veteran Amy McGrath is going viral with a video announcing Congressional run". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ Nilsen, Ella (May 22, 2018). "Veteran Amy McGrath continues a Democratic winning streak for women and veterans". Vox. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
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