You’ve probably heard the name. Maybe you saw a grainy video of a Thunderbird screaming past a grandstand or read a quick blurb about a "female first." But honestly, if you think Samantha Weeks is just a checkbox in military history, you’re missing the actual story.
It isn't just about being a "woman in a cockpit." It’s about a kid who was told "no" at age six and spent the next thirty years proving everyone wrong with a mix of grit, a PhD, and a Mach-speed flight suit.
The Pilot Who Refused to "Stay in Her Lane"
Samantha "Combo" Weeks didn’t just wake up one day and decide to fly the F-15C. It started on a KC-135 Stratotanker. She was six years old, watching an F-111 Aardvark refuel in mid-air. When she pointed at the fighter jet and told her dad she wanted to do that, he patted her on the head and said, "Girls don’t do that."
Even her seventh-grade counselor laughed it off.
But here’s the thing about Weeks: she doesn’t really care about what’s "supposed" to happen. She entered the Air Force Academy in 1997, the same year the combat ban for women was finally starting to crumble in the rearview mirror. She didn’t just join; she dominated.
She ended up in the F-15C Eagle. That’s an air-superiority fighter. It isn't built for "participation trophies." It’s built for dogfighting. She eventually racked up over 2,200 flying hours, including 105 combat hours during Operations Northern and Southern Watch. Basically, she spent her early career circling Iraq, waiting for someone to make a wrong move.
Samantha Weeks Air Force Pilot: The Thunderbird Years
In 2007, she hit a milestone that most people focus on—becoming the first-ever female solo demonstration pilot for the USAF Thunderbirds.
People get this part wrong all the time. They think it’s just about flying pretty patterns for a crowd. In reality, being a "solo" (she was #6 and then #5) is arguably the most demanding role on the team. While the "diamond" flies in tight formation, the solos are the ones doing the high-speed, head-on passes.
Imagine flying toward another jet at a combined closing speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour, passing within feet of each other. That was her Tuesday.
Why the "Combo" Callsign?
In the military, callsigns aren't usually cool. They’re usually a way to poke fun at you. For Weeks, "Combo" stuck because of her dual-threat nature—she was a tactical expert but also a scholar. She isn't just a pilot; she’s Dr. Samantha Weeks. She holds a PhD in Military Strategy.
She spent years researching leadership development and "revitalizing the squadron." She’s basically the person the Air Force calls when they need to figure out how to make their culture less toxic and more efficient.
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Commanding the 14th Flying Training Wing
By August 2018, she took command of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base. This was a "full circle" moment because she had actually been a student there years prior.
She wasn't just managing pilots. She was managing a $115 million budget and over 2,700 personnel. She was the one responsible for producing one-third of the Air Force’s pilots during a massive national pilot shortage.
She often talked about the "balancing act." She has two sons, Ryan and Ethan. In interviews, she’s been refreshingly honest, saying, "There are days I’m not always the best mom. There are days I’m not always the best military leader." That kind of transparency is rare in the high-brass world of the Pentagon.
Where Is She Now? (2026 Update)
Samantha Weeks retired from active duty after 23 years of service, but she didn’t exactly slow down to garden.
As of early 2026, she has transitioned into a major powerhouse in the private sector and space exploration. She served as the Chief Transformation Officer for Shift4, a massive fintech company, where she basically applied fighter-pilot precision to corporate scaling.
But the coolest part? She’s the Science & Research Director for the Polaris Program. This is the private spaceflight mission (think SpaceX) led by Jared Isaacman. She’s now helping humans figure out how to survive and work in deep space.
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Actionable Insights from a Lead Solo
If you’re looking to apply the "Weeks Methodology" to your own life, here is how she actually operates:
- Analyze the "No": When someone tells you "girls don't do that" (or whatever your version of that is), treat it as data, not a directive. Use the friction to fuel your preparation.
- The Three-Step Safety Check: Weeks often tells new pilots: Maintain aircraft control, analyze the situation, and take appropriate action. In business or life, if things go sideways, stop "flying the desk" and get control of your immediate surroundings first.
- Prioritize the "Human Relation": Despite her technical skill, her degrees are in Human Relations and Leadership. She argues that trust is the only thing that keeps jets from colliding. If your team doesn't trust you, your "engine" is effectively dead.
- Embrace the "Pivot": Moving from the cockpit to a PhD program to a fintech boardroom to a space program requires a lack of ego. Don't let your past title (Pilot, Manager, Director) prevent you from being a student in a new field.
Samantha Weeks proved that "firsts" are only important if they lead to "seconds" and "thirds." She didn't just break a glass ceiling; she built a ladder for everyone else to climb.