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Meet The Badass Female UAE Pilot Who's Dropping Bombs On ISIS
Meet The Badass Female UAE Pilot Who's Dropping Bombs On ISIS
Amanda MaciasSep 24, 2014, 23:19 IST
The United Arab Emirate's first female Air Force pilot, Major Mariam Al Mansouri, 35, led the air strike against ISIS targets earlier this week, reports Fox News anchor Bret Baier.Squandron commander of F-16 jets, Al Mansouri coordinated attacks with nations like Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on ISIS strongholds near the Syrian cities Raqqa, Aleppo, and Idlib.Al Mansouri joined the UAE Air Force in 2007 when military officals announced they would accept female recruits for training at the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College.In her earlier years of service she worked for General Command and was quickly recognized as a hardworking, detail-oriented airmen.
In lieu of competing with her male counterparts, Al Mansouri told Deraa Al Watan magazine that she "focused on competing with herself to improve her skills," reports The National.
Al Mansouri said she was not given special treatment during training due to her gender. "Everybody is required to have the same high level of combat competence," she said.
Earlier this year, the Social Progress Index ranked the UAE as number one in the world for treating women with respect and equality.
Born in Abu Dhabi, Al Mansouri is one of eight children and holds a degree in English literature.
