Amy McGrath facts for kids

{{Infobox officeholder | name = Amy McGrath | image = Amy McGrath Event- (49220643717) 1.jpg | caption = McGrath in 2019 | birth_date = (1975-06-03) June 3, 1975 (age 50) | birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Independent (before 2017)
Democratic (2017–present) | education = United States Naval Academy (BS)
Georgetown University (GradCert)
Johns Hopkins University (MA) | spouse =

| children = 3 | website = | allegiance =  United States | branch =  United States Marine Corps | serviceyears = 1997–2017 | rank = Lieutenant Colonel | battles = Iraq War
War in Afghanistan

| mawards =

Amy Melinda McGrath (born June 3, 1975) is a former American fighter pilot for the Marines and a politician from Kentucky. McGrath made history as the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly a combat mission. She was also the first woman to fly the F/A-18 fighter jet in combat.

During her 20 years in the military, McGrath flew 89 combat missions. After retiring from the Marines, she worked as a political adviser and a teacher at the United States Naval Academy.

In 2017, McGrath entered politics. She ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 but lost the election. In 2020, she ran for the U.S. Senate against Mitch McConnell but was not elected.

Early Life and Schooling

McGrath was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Edgewood, Kentucky. She was the youngest of three children. Her father was a high school teacher, and her mother was a psychiatrist. Her mother was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky's medical school.

In 1993, McGrath graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Kentucky. She was a talented athlete who played soccer, basketball, and baseball. In her senior year, she was accepted into the United States Naval Academy. This was the same year that a law changed, allowing women to train as fighter pilots for the first time.

McGrath graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 with a degree in political science. She also played on the academy's first women's varsity soccer team. Later, she earned a graduate certificate from Georgetown University and a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Military Career

Becoming a Marine Aviator

After graduating from the Naval Academy, McGrath joined the Marine Corps at age 21. By 1999, she had finished flight school. She started her career as a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO). A WSO is like a co-pilot who manages the weapons on the aircraft. She and another female pilot, Jaden Kim, were the first women to join their squadron, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121.

Flying in Combat

In 2002, McGrath was sent to Kyrgyzstan for six months. From there, she flew 51 combat missions over Afghanistan in an F/A-18D jet. This made her the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly in combat. In 2003, she flew missions in Iraq, helping to protect soldiers on the ground.

After becoming a pilot in 2004, she returned to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006. During this time, she became the first woman to fly the F/A-18 jet in combat for the Marines. She was promoted to the rank of major in 2007. Over her career, McGrath flew more than 2,000 hours and completed over 85 combat missions.

Service in the U.S.

In 2011, McGrath returned to the United States. She worked in Washington, D.C. as a military adviser to Congresswoman Susan Davis. From 2012 to 2014, she worked at The Pentagon, connecting the Marine Corps with other government departments.

From 2014 to 2017, she taught political science at the U.S. Naval Academy. McGrath retired from the military in 2017 as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service.

Running for Congress in 2018

On August 1, 2017, McGrath announced she was running for the United States House of Representatives. She ran as a Democrat in Kentucky's 6th congressional district against the Republican incumbent, Andy Barr. Her campaign video quickly gained attention across the country.

McGrath won the Democratic primary election in May 2018. She defeated Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington. In the final election in November 2018, McGrath lost to Barr. Barr received 51% of the vote, while McGrath received about 48%.

Running for the Senate in 2020

McGrath speaks with supporters during a campaign event, 2019

On July 9, 2019, McGrath announced she was running for the United States Senate in Kentucky. She challenged the longtime Republican senator, Mitch McConnell. Her campaign raised $3.5 million in the first week.

McGrath won the Democratic primary election, defeating state representative Charles Booker. During the campaign, she was endorsed by Kentucky's governor, Andy Beshear, and the state's largest teachers' union.

In October, McGrath and McConnell held a debate. She criticized his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 3, 2020, McGrath lost the election to McConnell by almost 20 percentage points.

Political Views

McGrath has described herself as a moderate Democrat and a fiscal conservative, meaning she is careful with government spending. She has said she wants to support good ideas, no matter which political party they come from.

Healthcare

McGrath supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and wants to improve it. She also supports a "public option," which would be a government-run health insurance plan that people could choose. She does not support Medicare for All, a plan that would create a single government health insurance system for everyone.

Economy and Environment

McGrath opposed a 2017 tax cut law but wanted to keep the tax cuts for middle-class families. She supports investing in projects like high-speed internet for rural areas of Kentucky.

She believes climate change is real and a threat to national security. However, she has said she would not support laws that could lead to job losses in Kentucky communities.

Other Issues

• Guns: McGrath supports the Second Amendment, which gives people the right to own guns. She also supports stronger background checks for buying firearms.
• Race Relations: She supports police reforms, such as requiring body cameras and creating a national database of officers fired for bad behavior.
• Immigration: McGrath supports major changes to the immigration system. She does not support building a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, suggesting technology like drones would be more effective.

Personal Life

When McGrath was in seventh grade, she became interested in flying after studying World War II aviation. At age 12, she wrote letters to members of Congress asking why women were not allowed to be fighter pilots. Congresswoman Pat Schroeder wrote back and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

In 2009, McGrath married Erik Henderson, a retired naval officer. They have three children and live in Georgetown, Kentucky. Her husband is a lifelong Republican.

Honors and awards

McGrath has received the following awards and recognition.

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Air Medal	Eight-time recipient
	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
	Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
	Presidential Unit Citation
	Iraq Campaign Medal
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal

In 2016, McGrath was added to the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame.

Works and publications

See also

In Spanish: Amy McGrath para niños