AFIT Civilian Institutions Student Named AETC Winner of the
2015 Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award

While pursuing a PhD in International Relations at Georgetown University through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s (AFIT) Civilian Institutions program, Major Miriam Krieger participated in a volunteer working group assessing female officer retention and promotion dynamics.  Her team’s analysis and recommendations have been both briefed and embraced at the highest levels of the Air Force.  Maj. Krieger’s exemplary efforts to address this CSAF priority issue helped her to be named the AETC winner of the 2015 Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award.

Named in honor of Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught, the award recognizes service members and civilians who have exhibited innovation, commitment and a selfless spirit of service to others while inspiring and significantly improving the integration of and opportunities for women in the Air Force.

Drawing on her first-hand experience as the first female pilot to join her previous F-16 squadron and her skills in academic writing, Maj. Krieger helped to build a cross-gender team from diverse backgrounds that leveraged data and ideas from around the AF and policy community.  Ultimately, Maj. Krieger’s team identified structural causes for a departure rate of female officers that is double the rate of their male counterparts.  After validating the mission critical need for diversity in our ranks, Maj. Krieger laid out 22 recommendations to adjust personnel policies to reduce female losses.  One of these recommendations – implementing the Career Intermission Pilot Program – has already been announced; others are currently being staffed for implementation and their progress is regularly briefed to senior leadership.

Maj. Krieger is very proud to receive this award, stating,";This award is such an honor, and the credit goes to the amazing team of volunteers I worked with and the strength of the innovative ideas in our project. General Welsh and Secretary James recognize that retention and promotion of all our Airmen is a priority, and this endeavor has offered new ways for both women and men to succeed in their Air Force careers."

Maj. Krieger’s work on officer retention accompanies an already deep investment in the education, training and inspiration of women in the AF.  As the first woman, and only fighter pilot selected for the CSAF Captains Prestigious PhD program, she makes special effort to connect with female AFROTC students at officer commissioning seminars to encourage them to consider the fighter aviation track.  Furthermore, Maj. Krieger is involved with Women in International Security (WIIS) and has encouraged young women to join the Air Force at events such as the Smithsonian’s Women in Air and Space Heritage Family Day.

The mission of AFIT is to advance air, space, and cyberspace power for our armed forces, the Nation, and its partners by providing relevant defense-focused technical graduate and continuing education, research, and consultation.  AFIT accomplishes this mission through three resident schools: the Graduate School of Engineering and Management, the School of Systems and Logistics, and The Civil Engineer School. AFIT also manages all Air Force health, line, legal, and chaplain graduate education at civilian institutions (CI).

Currently, the CI Program has 876 active duty officers pursuing graduate or other professional education in the Line, Legal, Chaplain, and Medical fields.  Maj. Krieger is one of 197 current Air Force PhD students attending a civilian university through the AFIT CI program office and she is one of eight current CSAF Captains Prestigious PhD program scholars.