Captain Mara "Casper" Jett, US Air Force

The B-52 Stratofortress, known as the BUFF, is a powerhouse of American airpower—capable of nuclear and conventional missions, striking targets anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. Captain Mara “Casper” Jett is one of the few elite Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs) entrusted with this mission, navigating complex airspace, directing firepower, and ensuring the success of critical Bomber Task Force missions and Red Flag exercises. Her journey to one of the most formidable aircraft in the U.S. arsenal was anything but conventional.

Mara’s Air Force career began at Pensacola Naval Air Station, training as a Combat Systems Officer just as COVID-19 upended military training pipelines. Delayed for months with nothing but time and introspection, she wrestled with the truth she had buried since childhood—she was transgender. But with the military’s second ban on transgender service members still in place, she knew coming out meant jeopardizing her future as an aviator. Instead, she pressed on, training under the shadow of uncertainty, waiting for the policy to change.

When the ban was lifted in 2021, Mara was deep in the B-52 training pipeline, earning her nuclear certification and mastering the aircraft’s strategic and tactical capabilities. With limited guidance on transgender aviators, she made a calculated decision—she would wait until she finished training to come out. That moment arrived at Minot AFB, where she revealed her identity to leadership. The response? A new callsign, a new name tag, and the full support of her squadron. Transitioning as a flyer was not without challenges—being temporarily grounded was one of them—but she fought to get back in the air. Soon, she was mission-ready once again.

Now, as one of the first openly transgender aviators flying B-52s, Mara continues to push forward, fully qualified, fully herself, and fully prepared to defend her country. “I am a woman. I am an aviator. I am me. And no one can take that away.”

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