Female F-16 pilot dreams big
Air Force First Lt. Jin Seo-young / Courtesy of Air ForceBy Kang Seung-woo Air Force First Lt. Jin Seo-young of the 20th Fighter Wing is the nation’s 19th female F-16 fighter pilot.What makes the 25-year-old Jin special is that her mother and sister, who are retired soldiers, inspired her to become a pilot.Her mother, Park Kyung-ja, is a retired Army staff sergeant who worked at the 2nd Operations Command in Daegu until 1984, and her sister, Jin Yoo-young, is a retired Army captain.“I appreciate all the attention I’m getting because I come from a military family, but I have set my sights on fulfilling my duties as a fighter pilot regardless of that,” said Jin, who is now undergoing combat readiness training.“I am working hard to be the best F-16 pilot I can be.”Jin said her decision to join the military was influenced by her mother’s career.“When I was young, my mother often told me about the military and it led me to long to become a soldier,” she said.“Although there are differences from what I imagined, I have
Nov 25, 2015By Kang Seung-woo