01/19/2024
Meet 1st Lt. Samantha “FORCE” Colombo. Born and raised in a military family, Colombo decided she wanted to join the US Air Force in high school. Her father, retired Col. John “JABBA” Colombo, former F-16 pilot, and mother, retired Col. Beth Colombo, former personnel officer, both influenced Colombo's decision to join the USAF.
Colombo finished basic flight training at the top of her class with distinguished graduate honors and was selected to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Flying the F-16 meant she would follow in her father's footsteps, which is not the last time this happened in her career.
Colombo was assigned to her first operational base at the 35th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Her father was also stationed in Kunsan for his first base. Colombo, shortly after arriving, was given the call sign “FORCE” during a traditional pilot naming ceremony. Once again, she had something in common with her father, as they both have Star Wars related call signs.
Now, Colombo is the only female pilot in the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan. Currently there are around 100 female fighter pilots in the USAF, and women like them who set the groundwork for Colombo's career.
“Sometimes you have to fight comments like ‘you only got that ‘cause you’re a girl,’” Colombo said. “I know what I did to get here, and my peers know how hard I worked. It’s usually the people outside the fighter community who will make those comments. I block that out.”
Credits: http://ow.ly/qb8750JVRTa
Be a part of preserving this important and often forgotten history of our early female aviators. bit.ly/WASPLegacyCampaign