[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 24, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4509-H4510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING CAPTAIN AMY LYNN SVOBODA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Arizona (Ms. McSally) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Captain 
Amy Lynn Svoboda, my friend, A-10 squadron mate, and pioneer.
  Amy grew up in Illinois and graduated from the Air Force Academy in 
1989, serving as a co-captain of the volleyball team. She attended 
pilot training, then served as a T-37 instructor pilot before coming to 
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to become an A-10 pilot in 1996.
  Amy was 1 of only 14 female fighter pilots in the Air Force at the 
time, and I got to know her when she joined me in the 354th Fighter 
Squadron Bulldogs as the second female pilot ever in that unit.
  Amy was quickly well-respected as a pilot and an officer, and well 
liked by so many. Her positive personality was infectious, and her 
dedication to excellence was a model to us all. She specifically 
inspired me as an example of how

[[Page H4510]]

to be a woman warrior without losing herself in the tough environment 
of a fighter squadron. It was a relief and a blessing to finally have a 
wing woman.
  On the dark, moonless night of May 27, 1997, during a tactical 
training mission with night vision goggles on the Barry Goldwater Air 
Force Range, Amy paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving her country. 
I was on the range that night, and I remember like it was yesterday the 
deafening silence when I called her repeatedly on the radio in the 
hopes that she ejected before her A-10 crashed. Our hopes were dashed, 
and Amy's extraordinary life was snuffed out with so much potential 
ahead.
  Her service and sacrifice is not forgotten. After the tragic 
accident, the Air Force finally invested in changing the lighting in 
all A-10 cockpits to be fully NVG compatible, likely saving lives. 
Those of us who served with her continue to be inspired by her example 
and her legacy. Generations of young girls will fly in the jet stream 
that she forged as a pioneering aviator.
  I cannot believe that it has been 20 years since that night. On 
Saturday, we will honor Captain Svoboda's service, bravery, and 
sacrifice with her family and friends, just 2 days before Memorial Day.
  Thank you, Amy, for your willingness to fight for our freedoms. We 
will never forget the price that you paid.

                          ____________________