Martha McSally

Martha McSally
Born	Martha Elizabeth McSally 3/22/1966
Birthplace	Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, retired military officer
Title	United States Senator from Arizona (2019–2020); U.S. Representative for Arizona's 2nd congressional district (2015–2019)
Known for	First American woman to fly in combat, first woman to command a U.S. Air Force fighter squadron
Education	Harvard University (MPP)
Awards	Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal

Martha Elizabeth McSally (born March 22, 1966) is an American politician and retired United States Air Force colonel who served Arizona in both chambers of the United States Congress between 2015 and 2020. A trailblazing figure in American military aviation, McSally became the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force to fly in combat and the first woman to command a fighter squadron in any branch of the U.S. military. Her 22-year military career took her from the cockpit of an A-10 Thunderbolt II over the skies of Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan to the halls of Congress, where she represented Arizona's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. After losing a 2018 Senate race to Kyrsten Sinema, McSally was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of John McCain, serving from January 2019 until December 2020. She lost the 2020 special election for that seat to Mark Kelly, making her the most recent Republican to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate. Beyond her political career, McSally drew national attention in 2001 when she successfully sued the Department of Defense in the case McSally v. Rumsfeld, challenging a military policy that required American servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the abaya. In 2019, she publicly disclosed that she had been raped by a superior officer during her time in the Air Force, becoming one of the most prominent voices in the national conversation about military sexual assault.

Early Life

Martha Elizabeth McSally was born on March 22, 1966, in Warwick, Rhode Island. She grew up in a family with a strong sense of public service. McSally's father died when she was twelve years old, an event that she has cited as formative in shaping her determination and resilience.

Growing up in Rhode Island, McSally developed an interest in athletics and military service from a young age. She pursued her ambition to serve in the armed forces at a time when many combat roles remained closed to women, and her early life experiences in the small New England state would later contrast sharply with her political career representing the southwestern state of Arizona.

McSally's upbringing in Warwick instilled in her a sense of discipline that she carried into her academic and military pursuits. The loss of her father during her formative years was a defining experience that she referenced throughout her public life, framing it as a source of motivation to push past barriers and pursue a career in military aviation at a time when such opportunities for women were exceedingly limited.

Education

McSally attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. The Air Force Academy had only begun admitting women in 1976, a decade before McSally's arrival, and female cadets still faced significant institutional and cultural challenges during her years there.

Following her undergraduate education, McSally pursued graduate studies at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree in 1990. The combination of her military training at the Air Force Academy and her policy education at Harvard positioned McSally for a career that would span both military service and public policy.

Career

Military Service

McSally was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force in 1988 and served on active duty until her retirement in 2010, achieving the rank of colonel over the course of her 22-year career. She became an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot, specializing in the close air support aircraft that played a critical role in multiple U.S. military operations during the 1990s and 2000s.

McSally flew combat missions in several major U.S. military operations, including Operation Southern Watch (the enforcement of the no-fly zone over southern Iraq), Operation Allied Force (the NATO air campaign during the Kosovo War), and Operation Enduring Freedom (the military campaign in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks). She became the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force to fly in combat, a milestone that earned her significant recognition within the military and in national media.

In addition to being the first woman to fly in combat, McSally became the first female commander of a fighter squadron in the U.S. Air Force when she took command of the 354th Fighter Squadron. The 354th Fighter Squadron, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, Arizona, was an A-10 unit, and McSally's leadership of the squadron further cemented her reputation as a groundbreaking figure in military aviation.

During her military career, McSally also served as an instructor and taught national security studies. She retired from the Air Force in 2010 at the rank of colonel after more than two decades of service that included six deployments overseas.

McSally v. Rumsfeld

One of the most notable episodes of McSally's military career came in 2001, when she challenged a U.S. military policy requiring American and British servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the abaya — a full-body covering garment — when traveling off base in the country. McSally argued that the policy was discriminatory and unconstitutional, and she became the lead plaintiff in the case known as McSally v. Rumsfeld.

The case attracted significant national attention and support from various civil rights and women's organizations. The National Organization for Women (NOW) highlighted McSally's challenge to the policy as a significant moment for women's rights within the military. McSally's legal challenge was ultimately successful, and the Department of Defense changed its policy, no longer requiring servicewomen to wear the abaya off base in Saudi Arabia.

The case established McSally as a public figure beyond military circles and demonstrated her willingness to challenge institutional policies she considered unjust. The episode would later become a central element of her political biography, illustrating her record of challenging the status quo on behalf of servicewomen.

2012 Congressional Campaign

After retiring from the Air Force, McSally entered politics in Arizona, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 in a special election for Arizona's 8th congressional district following the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords, who had been severely injured in a 2011 shooting. McSally ran as a Republican in the special primary election but was unsuccessful in her first bid for elected office.

During her initial campaign, McSally emphasized her military background and focused on economic issues, calling for solutions to address unemployment and economic growth in southern Arizona. Her status as a combat veteran and her record of challenging the Pentagon's abaya policy gave her a distinctive profile among Republican candidates, and she frequently drew on parallels between her military experience and the political arena.

U.S. House of Representatives (2015–2019)

McSally ran again in 2014 for the newly redistricted Arizona's 2nd congressional district, which encompassed much of southern Arizona including Tucson. She won the general election, defeating incumbent Democratic Representative Ron Barber in one of the closest House races in the country that year. McSally took office on January 3, 2015, succeeding Barber as the representative for the district.

During her time in the House, McSally compiled a record that reflected both her military background and the moderate-to-conservative political dynamics of her swing district. She advocated for increased military spending and was a strong voice on national defense issues, drawing on her personal experience as a combat pilot and squadron commander.

On healthcare, McSally opposed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and voted for its repeal. She also supported the American Health Care Act of 2017, the Republican-backed legislation that was intended to replace the ACA but ultimately failed to pass the Senate.

On immigration, McSally's positions evolved over time. She initially expressed support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama-era program that provided protections for undocumented immigrants who had been brought to the United States as children, though she criticized President Barack Obama's use of executive action to create the program. By 2018, her stance on DACA had shifted. She also expressed concern about President Donald Trump's travel ban and the family separation policy implemented at the U.S.-Mexico border.

McSally was known for her interest in public lands and outdoor recreation. She was an avid hiker who explored the Arizona Trail and sought to use public land policy as a bridge across partisan lines.

McSally was reelected in 2016, continuing to represent Arizona's 2nd congressional district. She served two full terms in the House before vacating the seat to run for the U.S. Senate in 2018. She was succeeded in the House by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick.

2018 Senate Campaign

In 2018, McSally entered the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jeff Flake. She won the primary election and became the Republican nominee in the general election.

The 2018 Senate race between McSally and Democratic nominee Kyrsten Sinema was one of the most closely watched and competitive Senate races in the country. McSally, who had frequently compared the challenges of campaigning to her experiences in military combat, ran a campaign that emphasized her national security credentials and conservative policy positions. Sinema ultimately prevailed, and McSally conceded the race in November 2018.

U.S. Senate (2019–2020)

Despite her loss to Sinema, McSally's political career was not over. In December 2018, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that he would appoint McSally to the state's other U.S. Senate seat, which had been held by the late John McCain until his death in August 2018. Jon Kyl had been appointed to the seat on an interim basis following McCain's death but announced his resignation effective December 31, 2018. McSally was sworn in as senator on January 3, 2019.

McSally's appointment meant she served in the Senate without having won a Senate election, a circumstance that became a topic of discussion in Arizona politics. As an appointed senator, she was required to face voters in a 2020 special election to serve the remainder of McCain's unexpired term, which ran through January 2023.

During her time in the Senate, McSally continued to focus on defense and national security issues. She served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where her military background provided her with subject-matter expertise that was unusual among senators.

Disclosure of Military Sexual Assault

In March 2019, during a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing on sexual assault in the military, McSally publicly disclosed that she had been raped by a superior officer while serving in the Air Force. "Like many victims, I felt the system was raping me all over again," she told the subcommittee, describing how she had initially remained silent but eventually reported the assault, only to feel that the military justice system had failed her.

McSally's disclosure was one of the most prominent public statements about military sexual assault made by a sitting member of Congress and a high-ranking former military officer. She said she had nearly left the Air Force over the experience. The testimony drew significant media attention and contributed to ongoing congressional efforts to reform how the military handles sexual assault cases.

2020 Special Election

In the 2020 special election for the remainder of McCain's Senate term, McSally faced Democratic nominee Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and Navy combat veteran who was also the husband of former Representative Gabrielle Giffords. The race was again one of the most competitive and closely watched Senate contests in the nation. Kelly defeated McSally in the November 2020 election, and McSally left office on December 2, 2020, when Kelly was sworn in following the certification of election results. McSally was the most recent Republican to serve as a U.S. senator from Arizona.

Personal Life

McSally has been open about several personal challenges throughout her public life. In addition to her 2019 disclosure of sexual assault during her military service, she has spoken about the death of her father when she was twelve years old and its lasting impact on her life.

In November 2023, McSally made headlines when she chased down a man who had molested her while she was jogging. The incident, which occurred after her time in public office, drew national attention and further highlighted issues of sexual assault and personal safety. McSally described entering "fight or flight mode" during the encounter and chose to pursue her attacker.

McSally is an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast. During her time in Congress, she hiked sections of the Arizona Trail, a long-distance trail that stretches from the U.S.-Mexico border to the Utah state line, and she advocated for the conservation and accessibility of public lands in Arizona.

After leaving the Senate, McSally relocated from political life but has continued to speak publicly on issues related to military service, sexual assault, and women in the armed forces.

Recognition

McSally's military career earned her numerous decorations and awards, including the Bronze Star Medal and multiple Air Medals for her service in combat operations. Her status as the first American woman to fly in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron has been recognized as a significant milestone in the history of women in the U.S. military.

Her successful legal challenge in McSally v. Rumsfeld, which resulted in the reversal of the policy requiring servicewomen to wear the abaya in Saudi Arabia, was recognized by civil rights and women's advocacy organizations as a landmark case for the rights of women in the military.

McSally's career has been the subject of academic discussion, media profiles, and public interest features. Harvard Kennedy School has highlighted her as a notable alumna, profiling her trajectory from military service through her political career. The U.S. Air Force published a retrospective on her career in 2006, noting her contributions to military aviation and her role as a pioneering female pilot.

Her appearance on C-SPAN to discuss women in combat was part of a broader public dialogue about the role of women in the military that McSally helped to advance through both her personal service record and her advocacy.

Legacy

Martha McSally's legacy is defined by her dual roles as a military pioneer and a political figure in a rapidly changing Arizona. As the first American woman to fly in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron, she broke barriers that had excluded women from full participation in military aviation. Her military achievements opened pathways for subsequent generations of female pilots and officers in the U.S. armed forces.

Her legal challenge to the abaya policy in Saudi Arabia represented a rare instance of a serving military officer successfully suing the Department of Defense on a matter of personal and constitutional rights. The case set a precedent for the treatment of servicewomen in foreign deployments and became a reference point in discussions about the intersection of military policy, religious customs, and gender equality.

In Congress, McSally represented a particular type of Republican politics in Arizona — moderate on some social issues while conservative on fiscal and defense matters. Her narrow election victories and subsequent defeats reflected the broader political transformation of Arizona from a reliably Republican state to one of the most competitive in the nation. Her losses to Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 and Mark Kelly in 2020 were part of a larger shift that saw Arizona elect two Democratic senators for the first time in decades.

McSally's 2019 disclosure of military sexual assault added a personal dimension to her public advocacy and contributed to the national reckoning with sexual violence in the armed forces. As a former colonel and sitting senator, her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee carried particular weight and helped sustain legislative pressure to reform military justice procedures for handling sexual assault cases.

Her story — from a childhood in Rhode Island marked by loss, through a barrier-breaking military career, to representation of Arizona in both chambers of Congress — remains a notable chapter in the history of women in American public life.