Major Nicole Malachowski flew combat missions in Iraq and was the first woman selected to fly with the Air Force’s elite Thunderbirds. She was well aware of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, the first women to fly U.S. military aircraft. Over a thousand WASP flew as test pilots, instructors, and took on other non-combat duties during World War II. They trained the male pilots who went into combat. 38 were killed on duty or in training, with none receiving military recognition or honors. The entire program was classified in 1944 and the WASP were denied veterans status, military benefits, and effectively erased from history. In 1977 they finally received military status and in 1984 they were given World War II Victory Medals. That wasn’t enough for Maj. Malachowski, and she helped draft the bill that President Obama signed last week which granted the Congressional Gold Medal to her personal heroes.