OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- She follows Air Force history -- through her family’s footsteps. Her dad and his siblings grew up in an Air Force family, having nothing but great things to say about the Air Force way of life.
Maj. Andrea Jensen, a forward deployed B-52 pilot with the 40th Air Expeditionary Group, has had a love of planes since she can remember. On her first assignment as a second lieutenant, she decided to turn that love of planes into reality while she was at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
“I was working as project engineer, for what is now the Air Force Research Lab at Edwards,” she said. “When I got the chance, I would step outside and watch all the flying activity. I especially enjoyed watching the SR-71 and the C-17 -- that’s when I decided to trade my lab job for a career in the cockpit.”
The Minnesota native earned her pilot’s license while in high school, but thought at the time it would always be a hobby. Now, she has accumulated more than 100 combat hours flying the Stratofortress in the sky over Afghanistan.
“This is the first time I’ve been able to apply my skills as a pilot in a combat environment,” Major Jensen said. “Providing close air support for our U.S. and coalition ground troops using the B-52 platform allows our ground forces to get some sleep at night -- our presence in the air is vital for their sustainment and well-being.”
Her education has been her stepping stone into the B-52. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was commissioned from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1995. While at Edwards, she applied for pilot training, was accepted and graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin AFB, Texas, in 1999.
Her first assignment as a pilot was at Laughlin where she flew as a T-37 instructor pilot. Following her assignment there, she moved on to Barksdale AFB, La., and attended B-52 initial qualification training. In May 2004, she graduated as an aircraft commander and joined the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale.
With relatively short time in the B-52, about two years, Maj. Jensen feels her role as a pilot supporting Operation Enduring Freedom pays dividends through deterrence -- whether psychological through the B-52's presence or through use of non-lethal and lethal weaponry.
“Our task is different from day to day over Afghanistan. At times we are asked by the joint terminal attack controllers on the ground, to provide a show of force by coming in low and dropping flares,” she said.
“Other times, when requested, we actually drop bombs -- either way, we always have successful effects against the enemy. The controllers are extremely professional at what they do. They bring a calm demeanor in the midst of chaotic conditions on the ground,” she said. “Up in the air, we’re pretty far removed from what’s happening on the ground. I’m just happy we can assist when our forces are in harm's way.”
The role and history of women in the Air Force is extensive. Major Jensen hopes to make her own mark.
“From my perspective, it’s easy to take the role of women in the military for granted,” she said. “More than a decade has passed since women first flew in combat. I really appreciate all the contributions women have made over the years that got us where we are today. Women don’t yet have complete equality in all facets of military operations, and I don’t know if we’ll ever truly reach completely equitable conditions. But from my perspective, being a successful officer and pilot is not about being male or female -- it’s about doing your job as best you can.”