Female loadmaster logs place in aviation history

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Veronica A. Aceveda
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Chief Master Sgt. Donna Lehmann retired in a ceremony Jan. 6, completing nearly 30-years of service filled with career milestones.

As a reservist, she was one of the first female C-5 loadmasters for the entire Air Force.
Before she entered the male dominated career field of loadmasters, the 28-year-old was serving as an air transportation specialist for the 71st Aerial Port Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

After attaining her five skill-level in the cargo arena, the chief said she was looking for another challenge.

"The fact that it was an all-male program was not really a factor, it was about having a new opportunity," she said.

In the late 1970s, the Air Force opened the C-5 program to women. She said she quickly scheduled an interview in Dover with the 326th Airlift Squadron commander.

"Once the commander mentioned the places of travel and promotion potential, I was sold," said the chief who had been raised most of her life in Westbury, N.Y.

And, just like the "boys," then Senior Airman Lehman had to undergo a flight physical, the altitude chamber and months of training at various bases to include Shepherd Air Force Base, Texas, Altus AFB, Okla., and Fairchild AFB, Wash.

She admitted having problems with some of the academics, especially having no knowledge of aeronautics. In addition, Chief Lehman said she wasn't the "camping-type" and was the only woman in her survival school course.

"It was difficult for me," she recalled, speaking of the two-weeks in the woods. "I was treated a little differently. Being the only woman, the instructors were constantly trying to get the guys to take care of me - to see if they would."

It was July 19, 1981, when Chief Lehmann said she became the first female C-5 loadmaster for the Liberty Wing and one of the first for the Air Force.

There are only a handful of people still around who were part of the 326th AS when Chief Lehmann joined the unit. One of those individuals is Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Ward, the current C-5 standardization and evaluation loadmaster for the 512th Operations Group.

"I remember her coming into the unit," said Sergeant Ward. "At that time, we had very few females flying. And, because of the nature of the work, the guys were always questioning whether or not females could do the job. As with everyone who enters the flying career field, she had to complete her training and prove herself out in the airlift system."

"I'm not going to say it was easy," said Chief Lehmann. "But, I did my job, and I was eventually accepted as a C-5 crew member and respected as an individual. Although, there were times when some of the guys did not like being told what to do by a woman."

She went on to become the wing's first female loadmaster instructor around the 1983-1984 timeframe. She added that's when she started to see more women loadmasters joining the unit.

Other wing firsts for the chief include becoming the unit's first female flight examiner, first female "Stan and Eval" loadmaster for the 326th AS as well as the first female "Stan and Eval" loadmaster for the 512th OG, according to Chief Lehmann. She also received the ranks of master sergeant and chief master sergeant through the Promotion Enhancement Program.

"As you can see, with her aircrew qualifications, she proved she had what it takes," said Sergeant Ward, who recalled how Chief Lehmann was ambitious and always thinking ahead to further her career.

Having been activated for the gulf war in the early 1990s and again for the Global War on Terrorism, Chief Lehmann has flown around the world and back to locations such as Germany, Turkey and Spain as well as austere locations in Africa and Romania.

She was even the primary loadmaster on the first all-female C-5 aircrew that was initially supposed to have flown around the world but experienced mechanical problems. Nonetheless, she did say they managed to make it to five global locations; and, there was a lot of attention surrounding the flight, which carried females in a variety of specialties including aviation, aerial porters, maintenance and a flight surgeon.

The global loadmaster called to mind other career highlights such as being part of the crew to bring in the first C-5 B model to Dover Air Force Base in the 1980s and loading a part for a nuclear submarine.

"That was the biggest thing I ever helped load," she said. "There was probably an inch between the unit and the sidewall of the plane. It was very tight!"

As a single parent flying so many missions, Chief Lehman said she was very fortunate for having a good support system of coworkers and neighbors to care for her daughter Krystin.

"Whenever I had to fly, she was misplaced a lot, which I know had to be tough for her," said the Chief Lehmann. "She's glad to get her mom back. Even though she's 19 now, I think she still appreciates having me home."

As her career comes to a close, her accomplishments as a woman pioneer in the aviation career field have paved the way for others, having trained and mentored at least 50 student loadmasters.

"I am proud of my career," said the chief. "I'm 100 percent Air Force; and, I will continue to look up into the sky anytime I hear the sounds of a C-5 flying over-head. It was a good run."