Memorial unveiled for U.S. Air Force captain killed in an A-10 crash 20 years ago

U.S. Rep. Martha McSally spoke Saturday at the unveiling of a memorial for a U.S. Air Force captain killed in an A-10 crash 20 years ago.

Capt. Amy Svoboda was the Air Force’s first female combat pilot killed on a mission, when she died May 27, 1997 during a tactical training mission on the Barry Goldwater range, according to a news release from McSally’s office.

Svoboda served with McSally in the 354th Fighter Squadron Bulldogs and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Svoboda’s family and friends gathered Saturday at the Pima County Air and Space Museum to remember Svoboda’s life and unveil the memorial in her honor, the latest addition to the museum’s Joyce M. Corrigan Women in Flight Gallery.

“Amy was quickly well-respected as a pilot and officer and well-liked by so many,” McSally said. “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 to be a woman warrior without losing herself in the tough environment of a fighter squadron.”

Those who served with Svoboda continue to be inspired and learn from her example and legacy, McSally said in the news release.

“Generations of young girls will fly in the jet stream she forged as a pioneering aviator,” McSally said about her friend. “We will not forget the price you paid.”