Kyleanne Hunter
Our host, Jenni Prisk, interviews Kyleanne Hunter, who was a AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack helicopter pilot for the US Marine Corps. You won’t want to miss this compelling interview where Kyleanne sheds light on what it was like being a woman in the military and how that experience impacted her and has shaped her life.
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Excerpts from Interview
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“…there’s not a lot of female aviators (in the US Military)”
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“Gender differences go away during deployment…women are essential to the mission.”
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“The Military needs to work on the messages about acceptable behavior…they must acknowledge that gender bias exists, and have conversations about it.”
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“A high percentage of single mothers in the military; child care is very challenging.
Ret. US Marine Corps Officer Kyleanne Hunter spent over a decade as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, flying the AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack helicopter, with multiple combat tours.
Hunter was one of the first AH-W1 “Super Cobra” attack helicopter pilots and served for more than a decade. “I was an attack pilot. I was the first woman on the east coast,” she says. “It was a trailblazer-type experience. Definitely an experience being the first in something, which is never easy. It’s something that takes grit and determination.”
Today Hunter channels this grit into helping break down roadblocks women in the military face. Now her mission is fighting for gender equality in the armed forces. She is a PhD Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver where her research explores the observed differences in women’s experiences both assimilating into the military and in impacting tactics and strategies. Part of this research explores the ways in which the military interacts with women’s movements – both explicitly and implicitly – to be a tool of gender equality.
Hunter is a dynamic woman with a passion for life and the pursuit of fairness.