The Air Force’s first female African American fighter pilot is focused on helping others achieve their goals.
Although Lt. Col. Shawna Rochelle Kimbrell officially retired from the Air Force last spring, she is still making her mark on future officers at the Air Force Academy. She is teaching physical education and is the director of culture, climate and diversity with the athletic department at her alma mater. 
Returning to Colorado two years ago brought Kimbrell back to where she grew up and laid the groundwork for becoming an Air Force officer and a fighter pilot. As a small child, she dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but soon realized that astronauts only go into space a handful of times in their careers. On the other hand, fighter pilots fly all the time and she envisioned the freedom of flight.
Kimbrell began flying lessons as a teenager, and soon joined the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the Air Force that has three missions: emergency services, aerospace education and youth development. Kimbrell was involved in the cadet program.
Wendy Hamilton — who retired from the Air Force at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel — serves as cadet program career exploration activities manager for the Civil Air Patrol and says the Civil Air Patrol not only gives young people insight into military life but provides access to a fleet of airplanes, predominantly Cessna 172s.
“[Lt. Col. Kimbrell] would have had an opportunity to not only learn about what a leader does … but she would have gotten to practice that because once you’re in the program for a certain period of time, gone through the curriculum and done certain activities, then you are responsible for training the next set of cadets,” says Hamilton. “We do a lot of practical, hands-on applications in the realm of leadership.”
Kimbrell says she experienced leading a squadron while in the Civil Air Patrol. “I intended to get into it for flying, but when I found the cadet side, I actually found all the leadership roles that were more developmental for me at that time,” she says.
