Michelle Curran
{{Short description|United States Air Force officer}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix =
|name = Michelle Curran
|honorific_suffix =
|image = File:Air Force Capt. Michelle Curran Opposing Solo.jpg
|image_upright =
|alt = Woman wearing modern flight helmet
|caption = Curran in 2019
|nickname =
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1987}}
|birth_place = Medford, Wisconsin
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|allegiance = {{flag|United States of America}}
|branch = {{flag|United States Air Force}}
|serviceyears = 2009-2021
|servicenumber =
|unit = Thunderbirds
|commands =
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Michelle Curran (born 1987) is a veteran United States Air Force (USAF) major and a pilot in the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, or Thunderbirds. Curran was the lead solo pilot for the Squadron. Curran is the fifth woman to fly with the Thunderbirds, her callsign (or nickname) is "MACE".
Early life
Curran was born in Medford, Wisconsin.{{cite web |last1=Lange |first1=Katie |title=Face of Defense: This Thunderbird Flies High |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/1786074/face-of-defense-this-thunderbird-flies-high/ |website=U.S. Department of Defense |access-date=November 10, 2020}} She studied criminal justice at the University of St. Thomas and competed in a number of sports there. Curran was also active in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) at St. Thomas.{{cite web |last1=Pulia |first1=Shalayne |title=Meet the Only Female Fighter Pilot Flying Over New York City Today |url=https://www.instyle.com/news/female-fighter-jet-pilot-new-york-city-coronavirus-michelle-curran |website=InStyle |accessdate=November 10, 2020 |language=EN}}
Air Force career
File:Michelle Curran Falcon Pilot.jpg
Curran began service in the United States Air Force in 2009, earning a commission through the AFROTC.{{cite web |title=Michelle Curran |url=https://afthunderbirds.com/site/team_members/michelle-curran/ |website=U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds |accessdate=November 10, 2020}} Her first two years with the USAF were spent in pilot training with the 14th Operations Group at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. Her next year was spent as an F-16 Fighting Falcon student with the 308th Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Curran then spent three years at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan.{{cite web |title=Flying High (And Upside Down) |url=https://alumni.stthomas.edu/stories/michelle-curran/ |website=University of St. Thomas - Minnesota |accessdate=November 10, 2020}} Curran later worked for three years as an F-16 instructor in the 355th Fighter Squadron at NAS JRB Fort Worth in Texas.{{cite web |title='It's a lot of responsibility.' Thunderbirds pilot hopes to inspire girls |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article246452760.html |website=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |access-date=November 27, 2020}} She was the first woman to fly as part of the 335th FS.
Curran joined the Thunderbirds in 2019 and left the team in December 2021, after serving a three-year tour on the team. Curran Served as the opposing solo pilot in 2019, and the lead solo pilot in 2020 and 2021, flying on the outer-left wing of the Delta formation of six F-16s. Major Curran was participating in the Operation America Strong flyovers the Thunderbirds did with the Blue Angels, the demonstration squadron of the United States Navy, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curran was the only female pilot flying with the squadron when she served, and the fifth female pilot in the squadron overall.{{cite web |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Norah |title=Female Thunderbird pilot inspiring others to chase their dreams |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michelle-curran-thunderbirds-female-pilot-inspiring-others-to-chase-dreams-2019-12-31/ |accessdate=November 10, 2020 |website=CBS News |language=en}}
Curran has logged over 1,500 total flight hours with the USAF. She served in Afghanistan for two months in 2016 as part of both Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Resolute Support, acquiring 163 combat hours.{{cite web |last1=Langhorne |first1=William |title=Medford woman soaring over Milwaukee as Thunderbirds' second-ever female solo pilot |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2019/07/25/thunderbirds-second-female-solo-pilot-coming-home-milwaukee-show/1617660001/ |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |access-date=November 27, 2020}}
=Decorations=
Curran's decorations as of 2020 were as follows:{{cite web |title=Thunderbirds |url=https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/airshow/media/military/Thunderbirds_Maneuvers_Package.pdf |website=FAA |accessdate=November 10, 2020}}
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|name=Air Medal ribbon|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|name=Air Force Commendation ribbon|width=60}}
|Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster |
=Promotion dates=
| class="wikitable"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Date | ||
| |20px | Major | July 2019 |
| |15px | Captain | August 2013 |
| |6px | First Lieutenant | August 2011 |
| |6px | Second Lieutenant | August 2009 |
Books
- Upside Down Dreams (2023) {{ISBN|978-1-63797-075-1}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://macecurran.com/ macecurran.com]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Curran, Michelle}}
Category:United States Air Force Thunderbirds pilots
Category:American women aviators
Category:United States Air Force officers
Category:Aviators from Wisconsin
Category:People from Medford, Wisconsin
Category:Military personnel from Wisconsin