Col Marlena V. Parker USAF Ret. Oral History

title:

Col Marlena V. Parker USAF Ret. Oral History

creator:

Parker, Marlena Ventresca (1968 December 31 -

subject:

US Air Force Academy (USAFA) | Air Force | AF Reserve

description:

*Content warning: this interview briefly mentions sexual assault* Marlena V. Parker (born Ventresca) was born on December 31, 1968 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she grew up with her Italian family and three younger siblings. While in high school her counselor knew she wanted to be an astronaut and encouraged her to apply to the Air Force Academy. She began her time at the Air Force Academy in July 1986 with the hope of becoming a pilot. Squadrons were made up of 30 people, so each squadron only had about four women in them, which brought her both positive and negative attention. She graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1990 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant, then went to a year of pilot training. After completing pilot training, she was required to serve for 9 years on active duty. Her favorite part of her service was being a pilot. She flew the KC-10, and throughout her career she was a squadron commander and vice commander, leading groups of multiple KC-10s flying across the Pacific together. Her first assignment was at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California. While there, she deployed to Al Dhafra Airbase to conduct air refueling for fighter aircrafts completing missions in Iraq and Iran. Her next station was at Travis Air Force Base in Vacaville, California, now flying KC-10s as an aircraft commander. Later, she also flew a C-40, largely transporting congressional delegations around the world. She left active duty in 1999 so she could start a family, and served as a Reservist from 1999 to 2020, working as an airline pilot in civilian life. In her time at the Air Force Academy, she experienced verbal and sexual assault, and injured her knee and shoulder. While in active and reserve duty, she also sustained back and hip issues, and lost some hearing and vision. Although she was never stationed overseas—the only stations for those planes are in the United States—she completed seven four-month overseas deployments because the KC-10 is used for missions worldwide. After retiring in 2020, Marlena continued working as an airline pilot and volunteered with the Air Force Academy to provide guidance to students interested in applying. When she retired Marlena had reached the rank of colonel, and her notable awards include Legion of Merit, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, amd Commendation Medal. Some of her special duties and highlights include being the first female commander of 73 AS, and being awarded as the Pennsylvania Veteran of Distinction in 2020/2021. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Ruiz-Bueno, Amber

date:

2022-03-02

type:

Audio

format:

Born Digital

identifier:

1548; 2022.1548

source:

Bobbi Knapp - SIU

language:

English

relation:

NR

coverage:

Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm—1990-1991 | Operation Desert Fox (Iraq)—1998 | Operation Allied Force—1999 | Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)—2001-2014| 1986-1990 | 1990-1999 | 1999-2020

rights:

Unrestricted