Afghanistan’s first female fixed-wing Air Force pilot, Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, is seeking asylum in the United States where she recently completed her C-130 conversion course.
By Senior Airman Scott Saldukas [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
She was due to return home on Christmas eve after graduating at Little Rock Air Force Base. She told The Wall Street Journal that she’s scared for her life.
Since gaining her pilot’s wings, Rahmani has been threatened by the Taliban and distant relatives who believe that her actions brought dishonor to the family.