19-04-2025
First female Thunderbird pilot removed from Air Force website
(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — In an effort to comply with directives made by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Air Force recently removed online content honoring several trailblazing female pilots, including the first woman to fly with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, commonly known as the Thunderbirds.
According to the Department of Defense, Colonel Nichole Malachowski became the first woman in history to fly with the Thunderbirds in 2006, and she went on to be the Commander of the 333rd Fighter Squadron, where she trained more than 200 students to fly the F-15E fighter jet. She quickly amassed more than 1,600 flying hours, including 185 hours of combat time.
During the week of April 14, all information acknowledging her military career vanished from the Air Force's website, but has since been re-uploaded.
FOX21 News reached out for comment and received the following:
The U.S. Air Force salutes Col. Malachowski's service as a leader, warfighter and pilot. Digital content related to her career is currently being restored across all Air Force platforms. We continue to review all content under our purview to comply with Defense Department directives while honoring our history.
Air Force Spokesperson
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