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M. J. Hegar

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MJ Hegar
Personal details
Born
Mary Ottilie Vonstein

1976 (age 47–48)
Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBrandon Hegar
Children2
EducationUniversity of Texas, Austin (BA, MBA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1999–2007
Rank Major

Mary Ottilie "M. J." Jennings Hegar (née Vonstein;[1] born 1976) is an American Air Force veteran, businesswoman, and teacher.[2] In 2017, she published the memoir Shoot Like a Girl, which describes her service in Afghanistan.[3] Hegar also sued the Air Force to remove the Combat Exclusion Policy.[4][5] In July 2017, Hegar announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for United States House of Representatives to Texas's 31st congressional district. After winning the nomination,[6] she is challenging incumbent Republican John Carter.[7]

Early life and education

When she was 7 years old, Hegar's mother, Grace, moved Hegar and her sister from Fairfield, Connecticut to Cedar Park, Texas.[3]: 16  Hegar grew up in Cedar Park,[8] where Hegar's mother remarried a Vietnam veteran, David Jennings, when Hegar was 10 years old.[3]: 14–15 

Hegar attended Faubion Elementary School in Cedar Park, Texas and graduated from Leander High School in Leander, Texas.[9] Hegar was class president, was on the cheer squad, and played various sports including soccer.[10]

In 1999, Hegar received a BA from the University of Texas at Austin where she studied criminology, sociology, philosophy, and world religions.[1] While an undergraduate, Hegar was Vice Wing Commander of Detachment 825 AFROTC and Deputy Commander, Arnold Air Society. In 2015, Hegar graduated from Leadership Austin Essential Class.[11] In 2016 she received an Executive MBA, also from the University of Texas at Austin.[12]

Military education

Career

Military

In December 1999, Hegar was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force through ROTC at the University of Texas. From April 2000 to March 2004, Hegar served on active duty as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She was initially stationed at Misawa Air Force Base in Misawa, Aomori, in the northern part of the island of Honshū of Japan. She was also stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster, Missouri, about an hour east-southeast of Kansas City, Missouri. At Whiteman, Hegar worked on the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Her maintenance career culminated in responsibility for 75% of all B-2 maintenance as a Captain and selection as the Company Grade Officer of the Year for 2003.

In 2004, Hegar was selected for pilot training by the Air National Guard. Upon completion of her training at the top of her class, she served two deployments to Afghanistan, flying Combat Search and Rescue[13] on over 100 missions[14] as well as Medevac missions as a helicopter pilot.[15][16][17]

In addition to the deployments to Afghanistan during the Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, Hegar flew marijuana eradication missions, wildfire suppression with buckets of water on cargo slings, performed pilot duties in evacuating survivors from hurricane-devastated cities, and rescued many civilians on civil search and rescue missions in California and at sea.[3]

On July 29, 2009, on her third tour to Afghanistan, Hegar, who went by the call sign Pedro 15,[18] was shot down on a Medevac mission near Kandahar and sustained wounds during a conflict with the Taliban.[19] She was operating as a combat search and rescue helicopter co-pilot on loan to the U.S. Army for the Medevac mission to rescue soldiers from an active battlefield. Taliban ground forces shot at the helicopter, which disabled her helicopter, and wounded Hegar with shrapnel in her arm and leg. Although injured, Hegar and her pilot were able to rescue the soldiers but under further heavy fire, the helicopter was forced to conduct a slightly hard emergency landing. U.S. Army helicopters were able to rescue Hegar, her team, and the other soldiers, but because the rescue helicopter was full, Hegar and others had to fly out on the skids of the helicopter. On the way up out of the area, Hegar saw insurgents and returned fire towards the area where she saw muzzle flashes.[20][21]

Hegar was awarded the Purple Heart in December 2009.[17] Her actions on this mission earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device in 2011.[22] Hegar was one of the few women to receive this medal after Amelia Earhart.[18][23] In 2016, Hegar described a 2007 mission to medevac a child in great detail in a TEDx Talks presentation.[24]

Due to the restriction of the Combat Exclusion Policy on women applying for ground combat positions, and because she was medically disqualified from flying due to a serious back injury sustained during the 2009 mission,[25] Hegar transitioned out of the Air National Guard and became a Reservist Liaison.[4]

Other work

After leaving the military in 2007, Hegar worked as a trainer at the San Jose, California-based Counterdrug Task Force from 2007 to 2010. Hegar relocated to Austin in 2010 and worked as a program manager at Seton Healthcare Family, a position she held until 2015. From 2015 to 2017, Hegar worked at the Deli Company as a consultant.[10]

Hegar has taught at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business as well as at UT in the ROTC and Women's Studies departments. She has mentored cadets at the university[26] and has served on the AFROTC Advisory Committee.

Hegar has worked as an executive coach and consultant. Hegar writes and speaks publicly about her experiences in the military and her fight for increased military readiness through equality.[citation needed]

Writing

In March 2017, Hegar's memoir, Shoot Like a Girl, was published by the Berkley Books imprint of Penguin Books, in a new military division called Caliber.[20] In 2016, it was announced that the movie rights to the book were optioned by TriStar Pictures, with Angelina Jolie reportedly in negotiations for the lead role.[27][28]

Politics

On July 6, 2017, Hegar announced that she would be running to be the Democratic nominee for the United States Representative in Texas's 31st congressional district.[2] Hegar won the Democratic nomination.[6] She is running against incumbent John Carter in the November 2018 elections. Hegar said that she thinks the political leaders for this district need to be more reflective of the population served, and notes that the district has more military personnel living there than in 97% of the districts in the rest of the country.[29]

In June 2018, Hegar released a short form political ad called "Doors" that described her career in the military, which included her being shot down in Afghanistan.[30] The video went viral and drew the attention of celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda.[29][31][32]

Combat Exclusion Policy

Shortly after the mission where Hegar was wounded in Afghanistan, due to the military's Combat Exclusion Policy, while Hegar had not been previously barred from air combat as a pilot, she was medically disqualified from flying. Hegar was automatically excluded from applying for combat positions that would have moved her military career forward.[23] Hegar was barred from cross-training for a ground combat position (like a special tactics officer) despite her expertise as a pilot and soldier, which had it not been for her gender would have been a next step.[18][33]

In 2012, Hegar was the lead plaintiff alongside former U.S. Marine Corps Captain Zoe Bedell, U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant Colleen Farrell, U.S. Army Reserves Staff Sergeant Jennifer Hunt, and the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) in a legal suit filed against the then U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asserting that the Combat Exclusion Policy was unconstitutional.[18][34][35] Hegar said that the suit was about military effectiveness and would provide a larger pool of applicants to the military commanders.[20] The policy, implemented in 1994, was repealed in January 2013.[14][36][37]

Personal life

In 2011, Hegar married Brandon Hegar, who she knew from high school. She and her family live in Round Rock, Texas, a town outside of Austin, Texas.[31] Hegar has two sons as well as stepchildren from her husband's prior marriage.[20][24]

Hegar has many tattoos, which were prominently featured in her 2018 viral campaign ad video, "Doors."[38] Hegar told Megyn Kelly during an interview on the Today Show that the cherry blossom tattoo on her shoulder was a way to cover up the shrapnel scar tissue that she had there, an idea to take control and make those wounds beautiful.[23][39] The video also featured the domestic violence by her father that Hegar and her mother and sister experienced when she was young.[40][41]

Honors and awards

Works and publications

  • Hegar, Major Mary Jennings (27 November 2012). "Women Warriors Are On the Battlefield. Eliminate Outdated, Unfair Military Combat Exclusion Policy". American Civil Liberties Union.
  • Hegar, Mary Jennings (14 December 2012). "Letters to the Editor: Breaking into the military's 'band of brothers'". The Washington Post. – in response to retired Army Major General Robert H. Scales opinion piece of 6 Dec 2012 in The Washington Post
  • Hegar, Mary Jennings (15 February 2013). "Making a case for females on the front lines". Houston Chronicle.
  • Hegar, Mary Jennings (2016). Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front. New York: Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. ISBN 978-1-101-98845-9. OCLC 935676913.

References

  1. ^ a b "Heritage Honor Wall: Capt Mary (von Stein) Jennings, Class of 1999, Combat Pilot, HH-60G Pave Hawk & Purple Heart Winner". Department of Air Force Science, University of Texas at Austin. 11 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b Svitek, Patrick (6 July 2017). "Military hero MJ Hegar launches Democratic bid against U.S. Rep. John Carter". Texas Tribune.
  3. ^ a b c d Hegar, Mary Jennings (2016). Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front. New York: Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. ISBN 978-1-101-98845-9. OCLC 935676913.
  4. ^ a b c "Mary Jennings Hegar, Jennifer Hunt, Alexandra Zoe Bedell, Colleen Farrell, and Service Women's Action Network v. Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense. Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief" (PDF). American Civil Liberties Union. 27 November 2012.
  5. ^ Worrall, Simon (26 March 2017). "Female Helicopter Pilot Took on the Taliban—and the Pentagon". National Geographic.
  6. ^ a b Silver, Johnathan (22 May 2018). "Hegar wins Democratic nomination in 31st Congressional District". Austin American-Statesman.
  7. ^ McElrath, Leah (8 July 2017). "Texas Purple Heart veteran enters House race to unseat 8-term GOP birther". Shareblue Media.
  8. ^ Prengel, Kate (25 June 2018). "MJ Hegar: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com.
  9. ^ Crystal, Whiting [@cgw1968] (19 May 2018). "To all my friends and family from the Leander area. MJ is one of us, from Faubian elementary to Leander High School. She is one hell of a woman. Let's put her in Congress. She is in the runoff Tuesday. Let's do this. @mjhegar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ a b Smith, Courtney E. (1 March 2018). "MJ For Texas Is Not Your Average Congressional Campaign". Refinery29.
  11. ^ "Essential Alumni: 2015. MJ Hegar". Leadership Austin. 2015.
  12. ^ Ransom, Danielle (Fall 2017). "To the Rescue: Mary Jennings "MJ" Hegar, MBA '16". McCombs. McCombs School of Business. p. 43.
  13. ^ Tedeschi, Diane (April 2017). "She Just Wanted to Fly". Air & Space Magazine. National Air and Space Museum.
  14. ^ a b Amanpour, Christiane (20 July 2018). "MJ Hegar, US Air Force Pilot" (Video). Makers: Women Who Make America.
  15. ^ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/22/war-hero-and-democrat-m-j-hegar-draws-attention-house-ad-texas-john-carter/725512002/
  16. ^ Penn, Nathaniel; Levitt, Danielle (photography) (23 April 2013). "Natural Born Killers". GQ.
  17. ^ a b c Green, Airman 1st Class Jessica (10 December 2009). "Airman Returns Home with a Purple Heart". Air National Guard.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ a b c d Kurková, Karolína (introduced by); Lane, Diane (narrated by); Hegar, Major Mary Jennings (26 February 2018). "MJ Hegar at American Valor" (Video). American Veterans Center.
  19. ^ Schapiro, Rich (18 February 2017). "Air National Guard vet fights for women's rights in U.S. military after heroics in Afghanistan". New York Daily News.
  20. ^ a b c d Gross, Terry; Hegar, Mary Jennings (2 March 2017). "A Purple Heart Warrior Takes Aim At Military Inequality In 'Shoot Like A Girl'" (Audio interview includes partial transcript). Fresh Air. NPR.
  21. ^ Green, Airman 1st Class Jessica (11 December 2009). "Airman helps rescue 3 injured warriors during battle in Afghanistan". United States Air Force.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ a b Green, Senior Airman Jessica (9 November 2011). "Heroes recognized for lives saved". Air National Guard.
  23. ^ a b c Kelly, Megyn; Hegar, Mary Jennings (22 March 2018). "Veteran Opens Up About Her Career And Running For Congress" (Video interview). The Today Show. NBC News.
  24. ^ a b Hagar, Mary Jennings (28 April 2016). "Follow Your Heart Because It Knows You Best: Major Mary Jennings "MJ" Hegar at TEDxGreatHillsWomen" (Video). TEDx Talks.
  25. ^ "Meet the hero vet who fought the Taliban while battling sexism". New York Post. 12 March 2017.
  26. ^ Campos, Michael (30 November 2010). "My First Combat Dining-In" (PDF). The Longhorn Airman. IV. AFROTC Detachment 825 – The University of Texas at Austin: 7.
  27. ^ Ford, Rebecca (24 June 2015). "TriStar Nabs Military Memoir 'Shoot Like a Girl' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ^ Ford, Rebecca (30 September 2016). "Angelina Jolie in Early Talks for War Drama 'Shoot Like a Girl'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  29. ^ a b News Anchor; Hegar, MJ (25 June 2018). "Veteran candidate's ad for Congress goes viral" (Video interview). CNN.
  30. ^ Hegar, MJ (20 June 2018). "MJ Hegar - Doors" (Short video political ad). MJ Hegar for Texas.
  31. ^ a b Cohrs, Rachel (25 June 2018). "Texas Democratic U.S. House candidate MJ Hegar's life story as campaign ad goes viral". Dallas News.
  32. ^ Walsh, Michael (26 June 2018). "Democrat's viral campaign video could be trouble for tea party Republican in deep-red Texas". Yahoo! News.
  33. ^ Simon, Scott; Hegar, Major Mary Jennings (26 January 2013). "Maj. Hegar: A Woman Who Has Already Seen Combat" (Audio interview with transcript). Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR.
  34. ^ Thomas, Gillian; Leveille, Vania (4 April 2017). "Hegar, et al. v. Panetta: The Legal Challenge to the Combat Exclusion Policy" (PDF). American Civil Liberties Union.
  35. ^ Henderson, Peter (27 November 2012). "ACLU sues over policy barring women from combat". Chicago Tribune. Reuters.
  36. ^ Bumiller, Elisabeth; Shanker, Thom (23 January 2013). "Pentagon Set to Lift Ban on Women in Combat Roles". The New York Times.
  37. ^ MacKenzie, Megan H. (2015). "2. The disintegration of the combat exclusion in Iraq and Afghanistan: Legal challenges". Beyond the Band of Brothers: The US Military and the Myth That Women Can't Fight. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 58–63. ISBN 978-1-107-62810-6. OCLC 914235926.
  38. ^ Zernike, Kate (14 July 2018). "Forget Suits. Show the Tattoo. Female Candidates Are Breaking the Rules". The New York Times.
  39. ^ Recio, Maria (9 December 2017). "M.J. Hegar isn't your father's congressional candidate. Here's why". Austin American-Statesman.
  40. ^ Tiefenthäler, Ainara; Zernike, Kate; Buhre, Maea Lenei; Tabrizy, Nilo (14 July 2018). "These Ads Reveal How Women Candidates Are Changing Campaigns" (Video). The New York Times.
  41. ^ Cottle, Michelle (26 June 2018). "Opinion: Democrats Appealing to the Heart? Yes, Please". The New York Times.
  42. ^ "129th Outstanding Airmen of the Year, Officer and AFA award winners announced". 129th Rescue Wing, Air National Guard. 30 November 2009. Aviator: Capt. Mary Jennings, 129th RQS
  43. ^ "The Leading Global Thinkers of 2013: Mary Jennings Hegar, Zoe Bedell, Colleen Farrell, and Jennifer Hunt - For shattering the brass ceiling". Foreign Policy. 2013.
  44. ^ "Master's Graduates Urged to Never Give Up". Merrimack College. 20 May 2017.
  45. ^ Hegar, Mary Jennings (29 April 2018). "Exceptional Service Award: Mary Jennings Hegar - Red and White Ball 2018" (Video). American Red Cross Metro New York North.

Further reading

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