Merryl Tengesdal

Born Merryl David in The Bronx, New York, she attended local schools and developed an early interest in flying and the space program. Her goal was to be an astronaut.

She graduated from the University of New Haven with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, one of three women to complete the program. She played on the basketball team and was in the ROTC.{{Cite web |title='Tough As Nails' Alumna Recognized for Determination, Grit, and Exemplary Career |url=https://www.newhaven.edu/news/blog/2021/merryl-tengesdal.php |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=University of New Haven |language=en}}

She entered the Navy and was admitted to Officer Candidate School, where she was commissioned in 1994 after graduation. David began a career as a Naval Aviator by flying the SH-60B Seahawk Helicopter at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. During that time, she deployed on two long cruises and multiple short cruises to the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean.

After a three-year sea tour in helicopters, David became a T-34C and T-6A Instructor Pilot. After completing T-6A Instructor Training, she became one of four Navy T-6A Instructors to train Navy and Air Force students at Joint Student Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Her Navy flight instructor, Commander Ron Robinson, said that she "was one of my best flight students, and it doesn't surprise me that she's doing so well."

After David completed her Navy obligation, she continued her military career by transferring to the Air Force to fly the Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady at Beale Air Force Base in Northern California. She was promoted to Major and began flying the U-2 in 2004, the first African-American woman to do so. Continuing to fly it, she was deployed to multiple locations in support of Operations OLIVE HARVEST, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and HORN OF AFRICA. While stationed at Beale AFB the first time, she held the positions of 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9th RW) Chief of Flight Safety and 9th Physiological Support Squadron Director of Operations.

She married and took the surname Tengesdal. After her tour at Beale AFB, Tengesdal became the Detachment Commander of Detachment 2 WR/ALC Palmdale, California, where she was in charge of flight test and Program Depot Maintenance for the U-2S aircraft. Thereafter, Tengesdal worked at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) J8 staff. As Chief of Studies and Assessments Branch, she was responsible for developing the Command's position on capability gap assessment(s), development, and integration for senior-level documents submitted to the Joint Staff. Tengesdal returned to Beale and held the positions of Deputy Operations Group Commander and Inspector General, 9th RW, Beale AFB, CA.

During these years, Tengesdal received advanced training and graduate education through Air Force and private university sources. In 2005, she took classes at the Air Command and Staff College, Non-Resident Program, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Later she completed a Masters of Aeronautical Science in 2008 at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida. In 2011, she did additional studies at the Air War College, Non-Resident Program, again at Maxwell AFB.

Tengesdal's final duty, beginning in October 2015 with a promotion to Colonel, was as Director of Inspections for The Inspector General (TIG) of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC. The Inspections Directorate develops, revises, coordinates, and implements Air Force inspection policy, and provides oversight and reporting of inspection programs to TIG, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Secretary of the Air Force on the readiness, economy, efficiency, compliance and state of discipline of the Air Force. Tengesdal was also served as Executive Secretary of the Air Force Inspection System Council.

In 2017, Tengesdal retired from the Air Force as a colonel, with more than 3,400 flight hours and 330 combat hours. Over 1,000 of those flight hours are in the U-2.{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=J. T. |date=2019 |title=Talking to: Merryl Tengesdal: Serene under pressure |url=https://issuu.com/university-of-new-haven/docs/university_of_new_haven_spring_2019_alumni_magazin/s/12180783 |access-date=2022-08-01 |website=issuu |publisher=University of New Haven Alumni Magazine |language=en}}

• Rating: Command Pilot
• Flight Hours: more than 3,400 with over 330 combat hours
• Aircraft Flown: T-34C, TH-57 B/C, SH-60B, T-6A, T-38A/B/C, U-2S

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• Officer Candidate School, NAS Pensacola, Florida, June 1994 – September 1994
• Aviation Pre-Flight Indoctrination, NAS Pensacola, Florida, September 1994 – March 1995
• Primary Flight Training, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, Squadron VT-27, March 1995 – September 1995
• Helicopter Flight Training, NAS Pensacola, Florida, September 1995 – August 1996
• SH-60B Fleet Replacement Squadron, NS Mayport, Florida, September 1996 – September 1997
• SH-60B Pilot, NAS Mayport, Florida, September 1997 – June 2000
• T-34C Pilot Instructor Training, NS Corpus Christi, Texas, June 2000 – December 2000
• T-6A Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas, December 2000 – October 2001
• T-6A Instructor, Moody AFB, Georgia, October 2001 – March 2004
• U-2 Student Pilot, Beale AFB, California, March 2004 – April 2005
• U-2 Instructor Pilot/Sq Chief of Safety, Beale AFB, California, April 2005 – June 2006
• U-2 Instructor Pilot/ Wing Chief of Flt Safety, Beale AFB, California, June 2006 – July 2007
• U-2 /T38-A Instructor Pilot/9 PSPTS Director of Operations, Beale AFB, California, July 2007 – November 2008
• Commander Det 2/WR-ALC Plant 42, Palmdale, California, November 2008 – December 2010
• NORAD/NORTHCOM J8 Staff, Peterson AFB, Colorado, December 2010 – August 2013
• Deputy Operations Group Commander, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, California, September 2013–2014
• Inspector General, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, California, September 2014 – October 2015
• Director of Inspections, Office of the Air Force Inspector General, Washington, October 2015 – August 2017

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• ACC Aerospace Physiologist of the Year 2008

• 1994{{spaced ndash}} Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering, University of New Haven, Connecticut
• 2005{{spaced ndash}} Air Command and Staff College, Non-Resident Program, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
• 2008{{spaced ndash}} Masters of Aeronautical Science, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida
• 2011{{spaced ndash}} Air War College, Non-Resident Program, Maxwell AFB, AL
• 2021{{spaced ndash}} Doctor of Engineering (honorary), University of New Haven, Connecticut

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• Ensign{{spaced ndash}} 9 September 1994
• Lieutenant Junior Grade{{spaced ndash}} 9 September 1996
• Lieutenant{{spaced ndash}} 9 October 1998
• Major{{spaced ndash}} 5 April 2004
• Lieutenant Colonel{{spaced ndash}} 1 February 2010
• Colonel{{spaced ndash}} 1 October 2015

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Tengesdal is married to Kjell Tengesdal and has two children. She is a personal trainer, author, leadership consultant, and motivational speaker.{{Citation |title=Merryl Tengesdal – Tough As Nails Cast Member |url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/tough-as-nails/cast/216480/ |language=en |access-date=2022-08-01}}

In 2013, her alma mater, the University of New Haven, Connecticut, gave her the Distinguished Alumni award.

In 2021, Tengesdal was a competitor on the second season of the CBS reality series Tough as Nails.{{cite web|last1=Bloom|first1=Mike|title=We're Ready to Punch the Clock! Meet the Full Cast of Tough as Nails Season 2|url=https://parade.com/1145748/mikebloom/tough-as-nails-season-2-cast/|website=Parade|date=7 January 2021|access-date=7 January 2021}} She was on Team Savage Crew.

{{Portal|Aviation|Biography}}

• List of firsts in aviation

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{{reflist}}

• Tengesdal, M. (2022). Shatter the sky. {{ISBN|9781737907312}}

{{Commons category|Merryl Tengesdal}}

• [http://www.raahistory.com/u2.htm Raahistory.com]
• [http://www.area51zone.com/aircraft/u2.shtml Area51zone.com]
• [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_n5_v27/ai_18614057 Findarticles.com]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2005/050731-u2-goods.htm Globalsecurity.org]
• [http://www.robinsonlawoffice.com Robinsonlawoffice.com]
• [http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2012/02/star-trek-fan-becomes-first-african-american-female-to-fly-u-2/ Star Trek Fan Becomes First African-American Female to Fly U-2]

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Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American military personnel

Category:21st-century American military personnel

Category:African-American female military personnel

Category:Air Command and Staff College alumni

Category:Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni

Category:Women helicopter pilots

Category:Military personnel from the Bronx

Category:United States Air Force colonels

Category:Female United States Navy officers

Category:University of New Haven alumni

Category:Female officers of the United States Air Force

Category:African-American women aviators

Category:American women aviators

Category:African-American aviators

Category:Aviators from New York (state)

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)

Category:20th-century African-American women

Category:20th-century African-American people

Category:21st-century African-American women

Category:21st-century African-American military personnel

Category:Participants in American reality television series

Category:African-American United States Air Force personnel

Category:African-American United States Navy personnel